


Realisation

by TheEigthPillarGeneral



Category: DRAMAtical Murder (Visual Novel), DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Anal Sex, Aoba and Noiz help him with his trauma, Koujaku deserves to be happy, M/M, Multi, OC doesn't have a major role, Past Rape/Non-con, Polyamory, Threesome - M/M/M, post-Noiz's Good End
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-08-15 02:58:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 36,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8039806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEigthPillarGeneral/pseuds/TheEigthPillarGeneral
Summary: Set after Noiz's Good End. It all started with a video chat between Koujaku and Aoba and Noiz, with Aoba and Noiz living in Germany. During the video chat, both Aoba and Noiz start to feel a growing fondness for the hairdresser, which prompts them to take a vacation to Midorijima. During their visit, old feelings for Aoba reemerge within Koujaku, along with a growing fondness for Noiz. But when Koujaku's past comes back in the form of Ryuuhou, causing hidden nightmares and trauma to resurface and haunt Koujaku, both Aoba and Noiz have to help a now-vulnerable and traumatised Koujaku even more than ever, along with figuring out their feelings for him.





	1. Video Call

“I’m home!” Noiz called as he entered the mansion, slipping his shoes off.

“Ah, welcome back!” He heard Aoba call from the living room, prompting a smile on his face.

It had been a few months since Noiz had been Scrapped, since he had moved to Germany with Aoba. Currently, they were living in Frankfurt, which was where the headquarters of Noiz’s family company was located. They lived in a large mansion together, and while Noiz worked for the family company, Aoba had managed to be employed as Noiz's secretary.

As he thought of that, Noiz smiled to himself. At first, when they had just arrived in Germany, it had been very difficult for Aoba to adapt. For the first few weeks, Aoba had gone through a large culture shock from moving to a new country, and he struggled with learning German. Noiz had helped Aoba by teaching him in his free time as well as registering him for some classes. He had also installed a software in Ren for translation for when Aoba went out on his own.

Now, Aoba had come quite a long way from where he started out, and Noiz had never felt more proud of his boyfriend than ever. With that in mind, he made his way to the living room, where Aoba was lounging on the couch. He wrapped his arms around Aoba from behind, burying his face into the crook of his neck.

Aoba giggled slightly. “How was your day?” he asked, turning around to give Noiz a kiss on his cheek.

“Long as usual,” Noiz mumbled into his neck. “It gets boring after a while, though. Being around businessmen all day in a meeting is exhausting.”

“It’s your job, Noiz,” Aoba chided gently. “You should get used to that.” He turned around so that he was facing Noiz. “By the way, dinner’s already made. It’s just simmering right now.”

“That so?” Noiz loosened his tie and draped it over the couch, giving Aoba a playful smirk. “It’s cold outside. What do you say about sitting in the jacuzzi with me?”

Aoba raised an eyebrow. “You’re not hungry?”

“Not right now,” Noiz continued huskily. “I’m more hungry for you.”

Aoba blushed as he frowned. “Geez, you’re starting to sound like Koujaku…” he muttered. “You been getting sweet-talk lessons from him or something?”

“Ouch, Aoba.” Noiz’s voice was teasing. “Well, what do you say?”

“Oh, what the hell,” Aoba conceded, laughing along with him.

 

* * *

 

Aoba and Noiz sat in the jacuzzi in their heated sunroom after their dinner, both of them just relaxing as they sipped red wine. Aoba was resting in Noiz’s lap, his back flush against Noiz’s chest. Noiz had one arm wrapped around Aoba, the other resting against the edge of the jacuzzi.

“So, I managed to get some vacation time, Aoba,” Noiz said casually, placing his wine glass on the small table beside the jacuzzi. “What do you say about travelling somewhere a little bit warmer?”

“Where do you have in mind?” Aoba asked.

“Anywhere, really,” Noiz said. “What about you?”

Aoba smiled as he glanced down at the pulsing waters. “Midorijima,” he admitted. “It would be nice to see Granny again, and maybe even Koujaku and Mizuki. It’s been awhile since we saw them.” He glanced up at Noiz. “You’re okay with that, right?”

Noiz shrugged. “Why not?” he said. “Anything for you, Aoba.”

Once again, Aoba felt his face heat up, and it was definitely not from the hot tub. “Y-You…” he mumbled in embarrassment. “Really now, you must have picked up some skills from Koujaku!”

“Why don’t you call him and see if I did?” Noiz challenged, smiling playfully at Aoba. “Your coil’s right there anyways.” He gestured to the table.

Aoba pouted slightly, but dried his hands and reached for his coil. Opening up the display, he selected Koujaku’s name from his contacts for video calls. It took a few minutes, but the call eventually went through. The video display popped up, showing Koujaku reclined on his bed, the bedside light making his face more visible. Aoba noticed that his hair was fairly messy, and that only his left shoulder was visible from under the blanket. Koujaku squinted slightly at the screen, running a hand through his hair to try and make himself presentable.

“Aoba…? Noiz…?” Koujaku asked, his voice laced with sleep. However, he gave them a faint, yet tired smile. “What’s going on?”

Immediately, Aoba felt guilty. “Sorry, Koujaku,” he said sheepishly. “Did we wake you up?”

“I was just drifting off to sleep when I heard the call, actually,” Koujaku admitted. “It’s okay, though.”

“You should go to sleep, old man,” Noiz interjected. “It’s not good for your health.”

Koujaku gave Noiz a look of mild annoyance. “Very funny, brat,” he retorted dryly. “So, how’s it going, Aoba?”

“Everything’s fine over here,” Aoba said, giving him a smile. “It’s chilly here, though, so Noiz and I are just relaxing in the jacuzzi in our house. And what about you, Koujaku? How’s Granny and Mizuki?”

Koujaku chuckled. “Tae-san is as usual, and Mizuki’s back in the Black Needle,” he said. “Me, I just celebrated the engagement of one of Benishigure’s members yesterday.” He then gave Aoba a curious look. “So, why’d you call me at three a.m.?”

“Because Noiz seems to have taken sweet-talk lessons from you!” Aoba said, giving a pointed glare at the both of them. “Seriously, did you teach him how to sweet-talk?”

“Uh… no,” Koujaku said, looking confused. He then frowned. “So wait, you called me at three a.m. because Noiz was sweet-talking to you? And you thought that he learnt it from me?”

Aoba felt even more guilty at that. “Yeah… sorry…”

To his surprise, Koujaku had a slight smirk on his face. “I’m impressed, actually,” he said. “He must have been really good to have made you wonder whether I taught him.”

At this, Aoba felt his face grow warm. “Wh-What are you even saying?!” he sputtered.

Noiz, meanwhile, couldn’t help but give Koujaku the same smirk. “Oh? Complimenting me? That’s a first, old man,” he said. “And can you believe it was all over plans to come to Midorijima?”

At that, Koujaku had an expression of surprise. “You’re coming to Midorijima?” he repeated. He then smiled. “That’s great. It’s been awhile since we saw you. Tae-san would definitely love to see you again, she’s been missing you a bit.”

Upon seeing Koujaku’s smile, Aoba felt his face heat up. However, he tried to ignore it as best as he could. “I’ve been missing her too,” he said. “So I’d really like to see her again.”

“So would I.” As soon as those words left Koujaku’s mouth, his eyes widened in surprise. “Well, I mean, it’s been a while, so I’d like to see you again so we can, uh… catch up, you know…” He tried to backtrack. “But yeah… it would be nice to see you again, Aoba.”

Koujaku smiled again, this time smiling softly.

Aoba couldn’t help but smile back. “Yeah,” he agreed. “I’d like to see you again, too.”

“Same thing with you, Noiz,” Koujaku added, giving Noiz a somewhat cheery smile. “You may piss me off a lot, but it’d be great to see you too. I’d like to see how mature you’ve become now.”

At those words, Noiz looked at Koujaku in surprise. And to his own surprise, he felt his own face heating up slightly, especially upon seeing Koujaku’s smile. He was confused. This guy was the hot-headed leader of Benishigure, and someone he had fought with in the past a lot. Why was he suddenly feeling flustered at his smile and his words?

Koujaku raised an eyebrow at Noiz. “You okay there?” he asked. “Your face seems a little red. How long have you been sitting in there for? Too much time in that isn’t good for you, you need to cool down. Same with you, Aoba.”

“Oh shut up, hippo,” Aoba grumbled. “You’re starting to sound like Granny!”

“Yeah, go back to sleep, old man,” Noiz added, trying to hide his flustered face.

Koujaku laughed while rolling his eyes. These days, he rarely got angry when Noiz teased or insulted him, he’d just brush it off. “I can’t go back to sleep now, unfortunately. But I can always close shop early. Anyways, I look forward to seeing you here again, Aoba,” he told him. “See you soon.”

Aoba smiled back. “See you soon, Koujaku,” he said.

“Yeah, good night to the both of you,” Koujaku said before closing the video call.

As soon as the screen disappeared, Aoba placed his coil on the table. “We should get out now,” he said to Noiz as he picked up his towel.

“Yeah,” Noiz agreed, standing up.

Once they climbed out of the jacuzzi, they dried off and went to the bathroom to clean themselves off together. They now lay in bed together, Noiz typing away on the hologram keyboard as he arranged flight tickets to Midorijima for both him and Aoba. As he did so, his mind wandered back to the video chat with Koujaku.

Noiz had been so surprised at how he had reacted when Koujaku had showed some concern for him. Not to mention, when he gave him a smile that wasn’t sarcastic or mocking. Noiz seemed to start to notice a lot of things about Koujaku. His crimson-red eyes, the scar across his nose, even his dark hair. As he thought back to previous encounters with Koujaku, there were quite a few things that stood out. For example, his charming smile that seduced many women, his affinity for the colour red, and the air of elegance that he carried. In fact, now that he thought about it, Koujaku was quite an attractive person.

At that thought, Noiz blinked. Wait… did he just think that Koujaku was attractive? But why? He already had Aoba, so why was he suddenly feeling like this? And for a rival, to boot? Noiz tried his best to ignore these thoughts as he continued booking the tickets.

Little did he know was that Aoba was feeling the same thing. As he thought about their video chat, Aoba wondered why he had felt his face heat up when Koujaku had spoken to him. It was usually Noiz who could make him feel like that, but Koujaku? His childhood friend? He shouldn’t be feeling like this when he already had a boyfriend! What would Noiz think if he found out?

Aoba sighed as he turned over, trying to suppress these thoughts. Right then, Noiz’s voice caught his attention.

“I just booked the tickets,” Noiz said. “We’ll be flying out in five days, and we’re spending about two months in Midorijima.”

Aoba smiled. “That’s great,” he said. “I can’t wait to see everyone again.”

“Me too,” Noiz agreed, smiling back.

 

* * *

 

Koujaku placed his coil on the bedside table as he lay back down. He glanced at the time and noticed that it was already three-twenty in the morning. He was surprised at how fast the time seemed to fly whenever he spoke with Aoba.

He thought about his conversation, and he smiled. Koujaku really enjoyed talking to Aoba, and he really loved seeing his smile. However, he knew that Aoba was already in a relationship with Noiz. At first, Koujaku had been devastated, but he managed to move forward, telling himself that if Aoba was happy, then that was just fine. And sure enough, he was able to talk to Aoba without feeling the ache in his chest.

To be honest, Koujaku felt a pleasant surprise when he thought about his recent interactions with Noiz. Sometimes, during video chats with Aoba, Noiz would come in and offer a few of his usual insults. But rather than losing his cool like in the past, Koujaku had started responding with a dry remark of his own, as well as a simple eyeroll. Needless to say, both Koujaku and Noiz had become a lot more civil in their interactions.

However, Koujaku suddenly seemed to notice a lot more things about Noiz. He couldn’t help but notice how classy Noiz looked without his piercings, how refined he appeared in his three-piece suit from previous video calls, and even how he spoke German. He could only pick up on a few phrases here and there from background phone conversations, but the way he spoke German was quite attractive, to be honest. But what really stood out during their recent conversation was the way that Noiz blushed. Koujaku thought it was quite cute, something that he wouldn’t really classify Noiz as.

It stunned him, that he was thinking these sort of things. He should not be feeling this way for that brat. With this in mind, Koujaku rolled over and tried to sleep these thoughts away. Instead, he thought about how he couldn’t wait to see Aoba again.


	2. Return

Aoba couldn’t believe it. After almost twelve hours of flying, he and Noiz were finally in Midorijima. When the plane had landed at the airport, Aoba felt a sense of excitement and joy within him, since it had been a long time since he was last on the island. He wondered whether Midorijima had changed even a little in the time that he had been gone. 

After going through customs and immigration, Aoba and Noiz collected their luggage before making their way to the arrivals hall. And sure enough, they saw none other than Tae-san waiting for them. Upon seeing his grandmother, Aoba’s eyes lit up excitedly. It had been so long since he saw his grandmother, and he felt himself smiling eagerly.

“Granny!” he greeted cheerily, wrapping his arms around her for a hug.

Tae-san smiled and hugged him back. “Welcome back, Aoba, Noiz,” she said. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? Now then, let’s go home, and then you can tell me everything.”

The three of them made their way outside, where a car was waiting for them. While Tae-san climbed into the front seat, Noiz and Aoba sat in the back once they placed their suitcases in the trunk. Aoba reached into his bag and pulled Ren out, turning him on.

“We’re back, Ren,” Aoba said, giving his Allmate a smile.

Ren wagged his tail eagerly. “It’s been too long,” he said.

As the car pulled away from the airport, Aoba glanced out the window, taking in the sight of the sunset. It was evening by the time they had landed. “So, what’s been happening on Midorijima?” he asked.

“Well, there have been some improvements to the island since the fall of Platinum Jail,” Tae-san started. “The skies are a little bit easier to see now, but we still have a long way to go. Mink disappeared afterwards, but I heard from Clear that he had gone back to America, and that Clear himself had gone with him.”

“Really?” Aoba was surprised. He had been a little concerned as to what happened to Mink after everything that happened, but he was relieved to hear that he was okay. “How have you been doing?” he asked.

“Hmph! Don’t think that I was too sad that you were gone!” Tae-san snorted, yet there was an underlying fondness. “I’ve just been continuing on with work as always. I’ll admit, I did miss you every now and then, but I’ve managed just fine.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Aoba said. Right then, he yawned. “Man, that was a long flight, I’m so tired!”

“Me too,” Noiz added, rubbing his eyes.

“Well, we’re almost home,” Tae-san told them. “When we get there, you two can shower, have some dinner, and then go to sleep early.”

Sure enough, when the car arrived at the Seragaki residence, Aoba and Noiz helped Tae-san out of the car and took their luggage before entering the house. As he entered, Aoba looked around, a sense of nostalgia filling him. Right now, it was almost as if he was just returning home from a day of work at Junk Shop Heibon, like nothing had changed. “It’s been so long since I walked through here,” he mused.

“Indeed it has been,” Ren agreed.

Tae-san walked past them toward the kitchen. “I’ll get started on dinner now, so you two can go and shower,” she told them.

“Sure!” Aoba agreed.

He and Noiz carried their suitcases up the stairs to Aoba’s old bedroom, which looked noticeably tidier now. Upon seeing his old bed, Aoba walked up to it and flopped down on the mattress, letting out a happy sigh. “I’ve forgotten how much I missed this bed!” he said, feeling a sense of contentment. “It really has been a long time, huh?”

Noiz smiled at the scene before him. Aoba was just too adorable for his own good sometimes. Right then, he pulled out his rabbit cube, Usagimodoki, turning it on. “Check and see if anything has changed here,” he told the rabbit Allmate.

“P!” the Allmate squeaked. “There are no visible signs of change in Aoba’s bedroom!”

Aoba glanced up from his pillow. “Noiz, you want to shower first?” Aoba asked.

Noiz shrugged. “I don’t see why not,” he said.

Later on, after they had both showered and changed into fresh evening clothes, they went downstairs where they smelt the delicious scent of dinner. Sure enough, Tae-san had laid out several dishes before them on the table. Upon seeing them, she gave them a warm smile.

“Dinner’s ready,” she told them. “Help yourselves.”

“It smells great, Granny!” Aoba told her as he and Noiz sat down.

After saying their thanks, they started eating their dinner. Aoba smiled as he took the first bite. “Amazing! This is really good!” he praised. “I really missed this, Granny.”

Tae-san smiled. “I’m glad to hear that,” she said. “Do you have any plans as to what you want to do on Midorijima?”

Aoba thought for a moment, glancing at Noiz. Neither of them had really planned anything out for this trip, they thought that they could just take it easy and relax a little while revisiting old places and friends. “No, not really,” he admitted.

“We kind of thought that we were going to be a little flexible during this trip,” Noiz explained.

“Well,” Aoba started. “Tomorrow, I was thinking that we could go see Koujaku. He’d appreciate it a lot. And maybe later on, we can visit Mizuki and go out for some drinks.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Noiz said. “Should we call the old man here, or go over to his place?”

“Let’s go over to his place and surprise him,” Aoba suggested, grinning. “And then we can catch up over sake or tea, just like the old days!”

Noiz had to admit, he was a little curious as to what Koujaku’s place looked like. Maybe it would be a good opportunity to see just what his tastes were like. Normally, he would rather they call Koujaku over to Tae-san’s house, but maybe it would be a good chance for them to be more civil with each other.

His thoughts were interrupted by Tae-san. “Well, he might be at work tomorrow,” she told him. “You know what his schedule’s like. But then again, you’ll be able to tell whether he’s at home or at work based on the crowd of fans in the area.”

Aoba laughed, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead. “You’re right about that,” he said.

After they were done with dinner, Aoba and Noiz retreated upstairs to go to bed early. The twelve-hour flight was finally starting to catch up with them, and they were feeling exhausted. With that, they brushed their teeth before trying to make themselves comfortable in Aoba’s bed, which was clearly meant for only one person.

“You know…” Noiz whispered as they lay under the sheets. “If I weren’t so tired right now, I would definitely be nailing you into this bed. Think about it, especially knowing that your grandmother is downstairs and may hear us.” His hands trailed down Aoba’s body before groping his ass.

Aoba yelped softly before giving Noiz a glare. “Really, Noiz? I’m trying to sleep!” he hissed.

“Maybe tomorrow we can do this,” Noiz suggested, unaffected. “What do you think?”

Aoba yawned. “We’ll see,” he mumbled sleepily. “Now shut up and let me sleep.”

Noiz chuckled before kissing Aoba’s forehead. “Good night, Aoba,” he mumbled in return before hugging him closely, closing his eyes as sleep took over him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second chapter! I know it's short, but the third chapter is going to be quite long, 'cause that's when Aoba and Noiz visit Koujaku. Let me know what you think :)


	3. Koujaku

It was eleven o’clock when both Aoba and Noiz woke up the next day, the both of them still trying to adjust to the time zone difference. Aoba was glad that there was no work that either of them were expected to do, and they both figured that they could take it a little bit easier today. When Aoba went downstairs for breakfast after his shower, dressed in some jeans and a blue shirt, he saw that Tae-san had left them a note, telling them that she had gone out already and that breakfast was in the fridge.

“Ah, too bad that we couldn’t see Granny off,” Aoba said.

“But it is better for you to sleep this late, Aoba,” Ren told him. “In order for both your and Noiz’s bodies to adjust to the difference in time zones, you have to adjust to the day/night cycles here. According to my reading, the times to avoid light in Midorijima are from four o’clock to ten o’clock in the mornings. The times to be awake in Midorijima are from twelve o’clock to six o’clock in the evenings.”

Aoba looked at Ren, a bead of sweat rolling down his head as he laughed in amusement. “Is that so?” he asked. “You really did your research, huh.”

“It’s my duty to make sure you are healthy here,” Ren said. “The pleasure is mine.”

Right then, Noiz made his way down the stairs, dressed in khakis and a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. It was his typical business-casual attire that he liked to wear at home, so Aoba wasn’t too surprised to see him dressed in it here.

“What’s for breakfast?” Noiz asked.

“Um…” Aoba opened up the fridge. “Looks like some eggs, fruit, and milk. Granny also said that there was some cereal in one of the cupboards, so there’s that too.”

Noiz nodded as he went for one of the cupboards, finding the box of cereal that Tae-san had mentioned. He poured himself a bowl of cereal before sitting down at the table, pouring some milk into the bowl. “So, we’re visiting Koujaku today,” Noiz told Aoba.

Aoba nodded. “Yeah,” he said. He then gave Noiz a stern look. “And no picking a fight with him, got it? I want you to try and get along with each other, at least for my sake.”

“Don’t worry, Aoba,” Noiz reassured him. “I’ve moved past that, remember? You remember that video call with Koujaku, right?”

Aoba did remember, and he had been a little surprised to see the civil interaction between Koujaku and Noiz, especially with how they teased each other. It wasn’t scathing or sarcastic, it was good-humoured and almost… playful. However, he still wanted to avoid tension between the two, which was why he warned Noiz not to pick any fights or rile up Koujaku.

“I know that,” Aoba said. “I’m just making sure.”

“Are you looking forward to seeing him?” Noiz asked.

“Well of course!” Aoba said eagerly. “He’s my childhood friend, and I haven’t seen him in a long time. Of course I can’t wait to see him!”

Noiz couldn’t help but smile. However, he felt a slight twinge of envy within him. Sure, Aoba was his boyfriend now, but he didn’t have the same kind of bond that Aoba had with Koujaku. Noiz had no friends in his childhood, with the exception of his brother Theo. Also, Aoba and Koujaku were close in a way that he wasn’t with Aoba. He had no idea as to why the hell he was feeling envious of Koujaku for this, so he tried to suppress these thoughts as he finished up his breakfast.

When the two of them had finished with breakfast, Aoba placed Ren in his bag and slung it over his shoulder while Noiz picked Usagimodoki up and placed it in his pocket. Aoba also grabbed the house keys with him, remembering that he was also told to lock up when they went out. “Come on,” Aoba called to Noiz. “Let’s go.”

The couple left the house, making their way to downtown Midorijima. Aoba looked around at the sights, feeling nostalgia welling up in him. It almost felt like he was going down to Junk Shop Heibon for work again. In fact, as he walked down the streets, he seemed to realise just how colourful Midorijima was. He never realised how much he missed this.

“Isn’t Midorijima colourful?” Aoba asked Noiz. “I never knew how colourful it was until I came here after spending a long time in Frankfurt.”

“You’re right,” Noiz agreed. “It’s kind of refreshing, to be honest.” He glanced around. “Know the way to the Benishigure turf?”

“Yep!” Aoba said, smiling. “Just follow me.”

They took a turn into one of the alleys, where they saw several Benishigure tags on some of the buildings and lampposts. When they entered the area, Aoba heard a familiar voice call out to him.

“Yo, Aoba-kun!” It was Kou, one of the Benishigure members. He approached Aoba and Noiz, grinning cheerfully.

“Long time no see, Aoba-kun,” Kou greeted. He turned and gave a polite smile to Noiz. “You too, Rhymer.”

Koujaku had told his team about Aoba going off to Germany with Noiz, apparently. However, he must have told them to try and act more civil towards Noiz and Ruff Rabbit, because there was no tension in Kou’s greeting.

Aoba smiled. “Hey, Kou-san,” he greeted while Noiz nodded.

“So, what brings you here?” Kou asked.

“We’re here to see Koujaku,” Aoba told him. “Is he working today?”

Kou nodded. “You bet!” he said, smiling. “Just look for the crowd of women, and you’ll know where he is!”

Aoba laughed. “Thanks again, Kou-san!” he thanked the Benishigure member. “See you around!”

“You too!” Kou called after them as they continued down the streets.

Sure enough, both Aoba and Noiz heard the sounds of excited squealing not too far down the streets. There was a large crowd of young women around a shop, all of them watching in awe and fascination. Upon seeing this, Aoba rolled his eyes.

“Ah, that’s Koujaku for you,” he chuckled. “Always surrounded by women.”

Noiz also rolled his eyes. “What’s getting them so excited this time?” he wondered as they made their way to the crowd of women to see what was going on.

Right then, as they neared, Koujaku emerged from the salon, followed by a woman and a four-year-old girl with black hair that was neatly braided. “Thank you so much for agreeing to do my daughter’s hair!” the woman thanked profusely. “I truly appreciate it!”

The little girl also gave Koujaku a big smile. “Thank you, Koujaku-san!” she cheered in her cute voice. “I really love my hair! Can you do it again one day?”

Koujaku gave her a sweet smile. “You’re most welcome, Reika-chan,” he told her, bending down to ruffle her hair. “And I’d be more than happy to do your hair again. You’re free to come here anytime.”

Reika threw her arms around Koujaku’s legs in a hug, squealing happily. At this, Koujaku laughed and hugged her back. This was his first time styling a child’s hair, and Reika had been so patient throughout. It was quite a sweet experience, and he was happy that he was able to be trusted with children.

“Let’s get going now,” Reika’s mother said, taking her daughter’s hand. “Say goodbye to Koujaku-san, Reika-chan.”

“Bye-bye!” Reika said, waving at him as she and her mother walked away.

Koujaku smiled. “Bye-bye, Reika-chan,” he said, waving back.

The women who witnessed this all sighed dreamily. “Koujaku-san’s so sweet with children!” one woman gushed.

“He’s so amazing…”

“If I have a child, I hope he’d be willing to style their hair…”

Still smiling, Koujaku turned to the crowd of women who were eagerly awaiting their turn for a haircut. However, right towards the back, he saw two familiar faces.

“Aoba? Noiz?” he asked, slightly surprised. However, his face broke into a grin. “Long time no see! So you’re finally back in Midorijima now?”

Aoba tensed up a little upon feeling the eyes of all the women on him, but he still smiled back. “Yep,” he said. “And you’re still surrounded by women as always, huh.” He then recalled the scene of that little girl hugging Koujaku. “So what, you’ve started styling children’s hair now?”

“Actually, she’s the first child customer I’ve had,” Koujaku told him. “Her regular hairdresser got sick so her mother asked me to do it.”

“I see,” Aoba said. He couldn’t help but smile as he remembered the scene. It was quite adorable to see Koujaku hugging that little girl. If he didn’t know better, he would have mistaken the little girl to be Koujaku’s daughter from the way they had been interacting. Hell, Aoba had no idea that Koujaku could be so sweet towards children.

Noiz regarded him, his eyes sparkling with mirth. Even he didn’t expect to see Koujaku being almost fatherly to the little girl. To be honest, it was very adorable to watch, especially when the girl hugged Koujaku. And the smile that Koujaku had given was one that he rarely ever saw. It was a fond smile, one that was filled with kindness and warmth, the type that a loving parent would give to their child. This was a side to Koujaku that he had never seen before, and as much as Noiz didn’t want to admit it… he really liked this side of Koujaku.

“So, what are you two doing today?” Koujaku asked.

“We thought that we’d visit some familiar faces today,” Aoba told him.

“I see,” Koujaku said. “Well, I’ll stop by later on today, okay? And tell Tae-san that I said hi.”

“Will do,” Aoba promised. “See you then!”

As Aoba and Noiz headed down the streets, Koujaku turned back to the crowd of women, his attention focused on a young woman with brown hair. “Why don’t you come in, miss?” he offered. “Allow me to do your hair now.”

The woman squealed excitedly before following Koujaku into the salon. As she sat down in the chair and Koujaku got his supplies ready, Koujaku smiled to himself. Aoba looked quite different today, yet he was still as good-looking as ever. Both Aoba and Noiz dressed quite classy, but he supposed it was expected, since Noiz was from a wealthy family. Upon seeing how happy Aoba was with Noiz, Koujaku couldn’t help but feel an ache in his heart.

When Aoba had announced his relationship with Noiz, Koujaku had smiled. He told Aoba that he was happy for him, that he hoped that Noiz would treat him well. But on the inside, he was miserable. He had lost to a brat almost eight years his junior, and he would have to keep his feelings bottled up forever. Koujaku kept wishing that he had told Aoba sooner about his feelings, that there was a way for him to communicate with Aoba. But he scolded himself for his selfish thoughts, reminding himself that if Aoba was happy with Noiz, then who was he to spoil their relationship?

If there was one thing that Koujaku was relieved about, however, it was that he was able to get along a little bit better with Noiz. It seemed that Noiz had mentally and emotionally matured, along with his physical appearance. He no longer tried to pick fights with Koujaku, but he spoke calmly and politely like a businessman. Koujaku didn’t know what happened in Platinum Jail, but he was sure that whatever happened in there had an effect on Noiz, which prompted him to change for the better.

And that was the second reason as to why Koujaku envied Noiz. Even before Platinum Jail, Koujaku had observed the way Noiz behaved. He never flinched for even the most severe injury, he was cold and aloof, and even socially awkward. But it was his eyes that always struck Koujaku. His icy-green eyes always seemed emotionless and distant, but they were filled with emotion now. Not to mention, Noiz rarely smiled. And Koujaku surprised himself by wondering why the brat didn’t smile more, since his smile was quite warm and endearing when it wasn’t a smug smirk.

But the second reason for Koujaku’s envy of Noiz was that he was no longer at war with whatever personal demons he was haunted by. Koujaku could tell from how Noiz acted that he was plagued with a bitter past, yet with Aoba’s help, he had moved forth and was now living happily with Aoba. As for Koujaku, he had his own inner monster that he dealt with for almost twelve years, and he would be continuing to deal with it until he died. And he couldn’t even share it with anyone, as it was too heinous to share. So he would keep a smile on his face and hide the bitter anger that he felt deep within.

With that in mind, Koujaku started styling his client’s hair, trying not to let his mind wander to unpleasant places again.

 

* * *

 

Evening came by too fast for Aoba. He and Noiz had just finished dinner when Koujaku stopped by like he said he would. Not that Aoba was complaining. He was happy to see his childhood friend again.

Currently, Aoba and Koujaku were outside on the veranda, just like in the old days. The sun had set a long time ago, so the veranda lights had been turned on. Aoba leaned against the railing, watching as Koujaku pulled out his pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Putting one in his mouth, Koujaku flicked the lighter before bringing the cigarette to the flame. The cigarette glowed and Koujaku took a drag, smoke curling from the end.

“So, how’s Germany for you?” Koujaku asked, glancing at Aoba. “I heard that you managed to get a job?”

Aoba nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “But it was only after my German was a little bit more fluent.”

“Noiz taught you?” Koujaku smiled slightly. “Mind saying a few phrases?”

Aoba thought for a moment. “Er…” He snapped his fingers. _“Guten Tag! Lange nicht gesehen! Sprechen sie Deutsch?”_

At that, Koujaku blinked before chuckling. “Not bad,” he praised. “Though I didn’t even understand a word of what you were saying.”

“Ah, I said, ‘Hello. Longtime no see. Do you speak German?’,” Aoba translated, smiling.

Koujaku nodded, taking another drag. “So Aoba, after stopping by, who’d you go to see?” he asked.

“We went to Junk Shop Heibon and met Haga-san there,” Aoba told him. “The three brats were there, causing mischief as always.” He then glanced at Koujaku from the corner of his eye. “Speaking of children, who would’ve thought that you’d be so good with them?”

At that, Koujaku smiled fondly. “You just have to be patient with them,” he told him. “Anyways, how does it feel to be in Midorijima again?”

Aoba smiled. “I never knew how much I missed it till I came here,” he admitted. “And it’s a welcome change from wearing stiff suits and going around to business dinners.”

Koujaku chuckled. “Right, you’re living among the aristocracy. You’re no longer one of us commoners,” he teased. “And how has that been? Business dinners starting to bore you? I can only imagine what it must be like for you.”

Aoba laughed. “Very funny, Koujaku,” he quipped back dryly. “The first few times, I really felt out of place, though.” His voice became softer. “I mean, all the other businessmen would bring their wives along, and all of them are dressed so fancily and look like models. Noiz is probably the only businessman whose partner is a man. A Japanese man with long blue hair, zero business skills, and who cannot speak German fluently enough to save his life.”

“Ah, I see,” Koujaku said, somewhat sympathetically. “Have people already been giving you dirty looks at those dinners?”

“Yeah, actually,” Aoba said. “A few months ago, at a business dinner we went to, I overheard some CEOs badmouthing me. I didn’t understand everything they were saying, but I knew that what they were saying wasn’t very polite. I asked Noiz about some of the words I picked up on, he told me what they meant, and they were some very nasty insults. But now, no one has been gossiping about me at dinners.”

Koujaku raised an eyebrow. “I’ll bet you that Noiz had something to do with it,” he suggested. “And now that I hear about what the high life is like, it sounds rather boring.”

Aoba couldn’t help but chuckle. “To be honest, there are some interesting parts of it,” he admitted. “But yeah, it can be pretty boring. Just last week, Noiz and I had to attend the wedding of a cousin of his. It was an arranged marriage, and it was so tedious!” Aoba ran his fingers through his hair as he recalled what it was like. “The couple was definitely not in love with each other, the songs played were as interesting as elevator music, and the speeches were just so long, dry, and lifeless! And don’t even get me started on the reception!”

“Oh?” Koujaku smiled in amusement. “What was that like?”

“Boring as hell!” Aoba groaned. “There was no energy among the crowd, no laughing or joking, everyone had to be quiet. I don’t get it at all! Weddings are supposed to be celebrations, so why the hell did it feel more like a politician’s meeting? I wanted to get drunk, just to make it less tedious!”

Koujaku couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, it’s good that you didn’t get drunk,” he chuckled. “Was Noiz able to handle it?”

“Even he found it boring,” Aoba said. “He said that he wished he could play Rhyme during the actual ceremony, and that he had enough of talking to the old businessmen.”

Koujaku smiled lightly as he extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray. As he did so, Aoba couldn’t help but observe Koujaku. He looked so peaceful right now, almost as if he belonged in this place. His visible eye was gentle and he was a lot more relaxed. Yet Aoba was more admiring of Koujaku’s hands. His hands looked so elegant and graceful, especially the way his fingers moved. Well, it was to be expected of a hairdresser.

Girls often gushed on about how Koujaku’s hands felt in their hair. According to them, the minute he ran his fingers through their hair, it felt like heaven. As much as Aoba liked to believe that they were exaggerating, he couldn’t help but feel curious as to how it would feel. Would it be really as good as those girls said?

“Speaking of weddings,” Koujaku started, getting Aoba’s attention. “Daisuke, one of the Benishigure members is getting married soon. We celebrated his engagement five days ago.”

Aoba nodded. “Right, I remember,” he recalled. “Who’s he marrying?”

“His childhood friend,” Koujaku said, smiling. “She’s actually a woman from India who moved to Midorijima when she was younger, and he befriended her then. She’s like an unofficial member of Benishigure, since she gets along with the other members and she’s always coming by with homemade Indian sweets and snacks for us.”

Aoba looked at him in surprise before smiling. “That sounds a lot more exciting,” he admitted.

Koujaku grinned. “Yeah,” he said. “It’s going to be an Indian wedding as well, and from what I heard, they’re quite exciting. All of Benishigure has been invited to the wedding, and Mizuki’s also gonna be there. So, it’s gonna be interesting.” A fond smile crossed his face. “Also, I’m going to be styling the bride’s hair.”

“Really?” Aoba asked, impressed. “Did they ask?”

“I offered,” Koujaku admitted. “They were both stunned and in awe. In addition, I’ve been requested to give a speech about Daisuke, since it’s tradition for Rib leaders to give speeches about the member who’s getting married.” He then remembered something. “Daisuke also told me that I could bring guests if I wanted to.”

“That so?”

Koujaku glanced at Aoba. “So, would you and Noiz like to attend Daisuke’s wedding?” he offered.

Aoba looked at Koujaku in surprise. He never expected to be invited just like this. However, he figured that it would be nice to attend the wedding, especially after going to such a boring and bland wedding a week ago. And besides, it didn’t sound too bad. With that in mind, Aoba nodded.

“Sure thing,” he said. “Let me just ask Noiz fir-”

“Why not?” Noiz’s voice came from the veranda doorway.

The two childhood friends turned and looked at him in surprise. Noiz just shrugged. “We can attend,” he said. “It would be kind of interesting, I guess.” He then smirked at Aoba. “See? I told you it was a good idea to pack a tuxedo.”

Aoba pouted at Noiz. “I know, I know,” he grumbled.

“Speaking of which, I still need to go out and find one,” Koujaku remembered.

Noiz glanced at Koujaku. “You don’t have a tuxedo?” he asked incredulously.

“The most formal thing I have is a black kimono, and the dress code requests for tuxedos, so I need to find one. I might rent one out, since it’s a lot cheaper,” Koujaku mused.

Noiz clicked his tongue. “It’s unacceptable for you to not have one, old man,” he chided lightly. “Tomorrow, I’m taking you to look for tuxedos.”

Koujaku looked at Noiz in surprise and disbelief. “You serious?” he asked. _What the hell…?_ He was quite confused. Why was he offering to take Koujaku out shopping for tuxedos? It was the last thing he expected Noiz to do.

Even Aoba was surprised at Noiz’s declaration. “You sure about that?” he asked, concerned.

“Yes,” Noiz said, sounding completely serious. “Besides, you can have the whole day to yourself, Aoba. Spend some time with Tae-san a little, you know?”

Aoba raised an eyebrow, but in the end, he conceded. “Okay then,” he said. “But please don’t fight.”

Koujaku glanced at the time on his coil. “I should be heading home,” he said. “Besides, you two need to rest up a little, right?” He gave Aoba a one-armed hug, which Aoba returned. “It was great to see you again, Aoba. Good night.”

Aoba grinned. “Good night, hippo,” he said.

“See you tomorrow,” Noiz told him.

Once Koujaku had Beni with him, the two of them began making their way home. “So, how was catching up with Ren?” Koujaku asked.

“As always,” Beni said. “Say, I overheard the Rhymer kid offering to take you out for finding tuxedos. What’s up with that?”

“I have no idea,” Koujaku admitted.

In a way, Koujaku was glad that Noiz was going to help him. He was a lot more experienced in formal clothing and the like, so he would have a better clue as to which kind of tuxedo would be the best to wear. And who knows, maybe he’d be able to get along better with the brat?

Koujaku sighed. He was a little bit worried as to how Noiz would be, for some reason. But at the same time… he was looking forward to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know how I did, please! Your reviews really would mean a lot to me :)
> 
> Disclaimer: DMMD belongs to Nitro+Chiral, not me.


	4. Tuxedos

Aoba leaned into Noiz, snuggling against his bare chest as he sighed in pleasure. Noiz pulled Aoba close and kissed his forehead, breathing heavily. They had just finished a very wonderful tumble in the sheets and were now satisfied and exhausted. However, before they could go to sleep, Aoba had a question he wanted to ask.

“Noiz?” Aoba started, speaking softly.

“What is it?” Noiz asked.

“Why’d you offer to take Koujaku out for shopping tomorrow?” Aoba asked. “I am a little curious, to be honest.”

Noiz shrugged. “I figured that he wouldn’t know what kind of a tuxedo he’d want,” he said. “The old man practically lives in kimonos, so he’d probably be a little confused.”

Aoba scowled slightly. “Koujaku’s not that stupid,” he grumbled.

“I know,” Noiz said nonchalantly. He then gave Aoba a small smirk. “He’s also a lot better with kids than you.”

Aoba couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “Yeah, that’s true,” he agreed. “It felt great to be able to catch up with him, you know? I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed hanging out with him on the veranda.”

“I could see that,” Noiz said, giving his boyfriend a fond smile. “He values you a lot, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah,” Aoba said. “He moved from the mainland when he was a kid, and I was his first friend. He was also my first friend after he beat up some punks who were pulling at my hair. Granny and his mom got along, so Koujaku and I often played together. He’d always tell me to never give in, no matter what.” He sighed. “Sadly, he and his mom left for the mainland a short while later. But when Koujaku came back to Midorijima, he was alone.”

At the mention of Koujaku’s mom, Noiz immediately got curious. “What was his mom like?” he asked.

“She was very kind,” Aoba recalled, smiling. “I also remember her playing music a lot for us. She’d play the koto for Koujaku and I and sing for us. Koujaku also sang for me sometimes while playing the koto.”

Noiz raised an eyebrow. He didn’t know this at all. “The old man can sing?” he asked, surprised.

Aoba nodded. “He has a very nice voice,” he said. “It’s very soothing and gentle. I wonder if he still sings? I’d like to hear him sing again.”

Noiz nodded wistfully. “I envy you,” he admitted. “I wish I could’ve had someone like Koujaku in my life, telling me not to give in. Theo was the only one who was worried about me, but he was forbidden from interacting with me.”

Aoba glanced up at Noiz and gave him a kind smile. “You know, this might be a good opportunity for you to get to know Koujaku a little better,” he suggested. “And then you can learn to get along a lot more than right now. Koujaku’s very kind once you get to know him a little better.”

“That so?” Noiz mumbled.

“Yeah.” Aoba closed his eyes as he yawned. “Anyways, just try not to annoy him too much tomorrow.” He planted a kiss on Noiz’s cheek. “Good night.”

“Good night.” Noiz captured Aoba’s lips with his own in a sweet kiss before they closed their eyes and went to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Koujaku arrived at the Seragaki residence shortly after Noiz and Aoba had finished their breakfast. Noiz, who was already dressed in his another business-casual outfit, had left with Koujaku after giving Aoba a kiss and telling him to enjoy his day to himself.

Currently, the both of them were walking down the streets in silence when Koujaku paused outside of a hair salon. “I just remembered something,” he told Noiz. “I need to buy some shampoo and conditioner, since this salon sells the brand that I typically use. Mind if I quickly step in and buy them?”

Noiz shrugged. “Go ahead,” he said. “I’ll wait out here.”

“Thanks,” Koujaku said, entering the salon.

Once he was inside, Noiz leaned against the wall and started up his coil. He had found a tuxedo store that sold tuxedos at reasonable prices, but was fairly far away. Opening up the map, Noiz started looking for possible routes when he suddenly heard a voice behind him.

“Going tuxedo shopping, are we?” The voice was soft-spoken and sly.

Noiz turned around, only to see a man with light-brown hair and a fairly friendly smile on his face. He was dressed in a dark-blue kimono with a dragon pattern, along with a blue seahorse tattooed on his neck. But what really caught Noiz’s attention were the skulls that hung from his neck, his wrists, and his waist. Noiz had to admit, the man looked a little strange.

However, he gave the man a nod. “How’d you know?” he asked.

“I could see it on your coil display,” the man told him, speaking in that whispery-like voice. “But don’t you think that’s a little bit too far to go?”

Noiz raised an eyebrow. _Who is this guy?_ He wondered. “What are you trying to say?”

“If you want better quality tuxedos, there’s a place in Platinum Jail that sells high-quality tuxedos,” the man continued. “I’ve been through there many times, and they do have fine quality material.”

“Which part?” Noiz asked.

“It’s in the Aqua Forest district,” the man told him. “Just look for a building with tuxedo mannequins in the display windows. It’s easy to find.”

Noiz nodded. “Thank you,” he said.

“You’re welcome,” the man replied, giving another friendly, yet fox-like smile. “I hope to see you around.” With that, he crossed the street before disappearing into an alley.

Noiz couldn’t help but wonder who that man was. He had to admit, the man looked a little bizarre, but he seemed rather friendly. He shrugged to himself, thinking that it was no big deal when Koujaku emerged from the salon, holding a bag.

“You got what you needed, old man?” Noiz asked.

“Yeah,” Koujaku said. “Let’s go.”

“Actually, there’s a shop in Platinum Jail that sells some high-quality tuxedos,” Noiz told him. “Let’s go check that place out.”

Koujaku raised an eyebrow at the mention of Platinum Jail. True, the walls had opened up and people from the Old Resident District were allowed to enter whenever and wherever they liked, but Koujaku had never really been in the area. But still, it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try, he supposed.

“Lead the way,” he told Noiz.

The two of them started walking, now headed towards Platinum Jail. “You know, the wedding is actually going to happen in Platinum Jail,” Koujaku told Noiz. “It’s in a district called Flame Willow, which has a traditional Japanese theme to it, apparently.”

“That so?” Noiz asked.

The walk continued in a fairly awkward silence. Koujaku couldn’t help but feel a little bit tense throughout the walk, especially because of the silence. He glanced at Noiz from the corner of his eyes. It was kind of hard to believe that the young man walking beside him was really the same pierced kid who fought Rhyme. Now, Noiz had an air of maturity and dignity, and he was a lot more expressive now.

At that thought, Koujaku recalled how closed-off and stoic Noiz was. Previously, during a fight, Noiz would barely react to even the most severe injury he received. Now, Noiz was reacting to more things. It confused Koujaku a little bit. Was he unable to feel pain before? However, Koujaku knew that if he were to ask something like this out of the blue, he probably wouldn’t get an answer. So he decided to try a different approach: talk a little bit about himself to make Noiz feel more at ease around him.

“Say, Noiz,” Koujaku started, getting his attention. “You know why I became a hairdresser?”

Noiz glanced at Koujaku. “Why?” he asked.

Koujaku smiled fondly. “My mother,” he said. “She used to have long black hair that was really glossy and soft, and she’d often let me brush it for her. I’d sometimes even braid it or tie it up for her in a bun.”

Noiz listened to him as he spoke, not making a single comment. When Koujaku had finished speaking, Noiz just nodded in understanding. “Sounds like you really cared about her,” he observed. “I can understand why, though. Aoba told me a little bit about her last night.”

At that, Koujaku raised an eyebrow. “What’d he tell you?” he asked curiously.

“Just that she was very kind, and she liked to sing to both you and Aoba,” Noiz said. He then gave Koujaku a wry smirk. “Aoba also told me that you liked to sing to him as well, and play the koto.”

Koujaku’s eyes widened slightly as his face grew warm in embarrassment. He then sighed. “Yeah, that’s true,” he admitted. “Even now, I still play the koto and sing, especially whenever I’ve had nightmares. My mother used to sing for me whenever I had nightmares, so I sing whatever she played for me.”

“Like what?” Noiz asked.

“Traditional Japanese lullabies and folk songs,” Koujaku told him. “The ones that really worked on me were ‘Sakura Sakura’ and ‘Kojo no Tsuki’.”

Noiz couldn’t help but hum in fascination. So far, Koujaku was quite an interesting person, completely different from how he had first seen him. Back then, Koujaku had been hot-tempered and fiery, and willing to pick a fight. But now that he was actually spending some time with him, Noiz knew that this wasn’t truly the case. Koujaku was rather chivalrous and polite, and even charming. He was also incredibly loyal and protective about those he cared about.

But if there was one thing that Noiz really noticed, it was how Koujaku seemed to miraculously make him more calm instead of riling him up. Right now, there was just something incredibly calming about Koujaku that Noiz appreciated. Not to mention, Koujaku smelled really good right now. Maybe it was his fragrance that was calming Noiz down. He smelt clean and fresh, but Noiz could detect the fragrance of incense smoke around him. It smelt like a very woodsy myrrh with a hint of lavender. It was soothing and smelt amazing.

The rest of the walk was silent, but it was no longer awkward. In fact, they both just silently enjoyed each other’s company up until they arrived at the Aqua Forest district of Platinum Jail.

Koujaku looked around him in surprise. Platinum Jail was really as luxurious as the rumours had said. But this part of Platinum Jail had an almost relaxing atmosphere to it. The buildings were almost translucent and almost ethereal, and there was lush greenery growing around the area. He had to admit, it was really a nice place.

“Wow…” Koujaku murmured. “Have you been here before?”

“Not to Aqua Forest,” Noiz said. “First time was in an area called Green Playground, and that was green and looked like a Rhyme field. Second time was with Aoba in our hotel in Midnight Blue Coast.”

Noiz recalled what the man with skulls had told him about the building having tuxedos in the display window. And sure enough, he saw the shop in question up ahead. “There it is,” he said, pointing to the building.

Koujaku turned his attention to the building. In the display window, there were several luxurious-looking suits on mannequins, all of them emphasized by lighting. If Koujaku had to guess the price of those tuxedos, he’d assume that they were extremely expensive, beyond what he could afford. He could only hope that they offered rental services and that the price wouldn’t cause too much damage to his wallet.

They entered the store and Koujaku followed Noiz to some of the tuxedos in the back. “Take a look around,” he said.

Koujaku frowned as he noticed several black tuxedos. “The groom’s most likely gonna wear something black for the reception,” he mused.

As Koujaku looked around, Noiz observed Koujaku from afar. He realised that this would most likely be his first time seeing Koujaku in a tuxedo. Just that thought made Noiz’s cheeks heat up for some reason. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he looked around before he found a deep-red tuxedo. It looked like it would suit Koujaku very nicely, especially since he seemed to love the colour red.

“I found one you might like,” Noiz told him.

Koujaku turned to see the tuxedo. However, he shook his head. “The bride’s gonna be dressed in red,” he told him. “It’s only fair that I find something else.”

Right then, Koujaku paused in front of a midnight-blue tuxedo. He seemed to be looking at it appreciatively, as if contemplating how it would look on him. Noiz noticed this immediately, and he himself couldn’t help but imagine Koujaku in it. So he knew what to do.

“Excuse me,” he called to the girl at the front desk, who came over to them.

“Can I help you?” the clerk asked.

“He’d like to try this on,” Noiz said, gesturing to both Koujaku and the tuxedo.

“Sure thing,” the clerk said cheerily, taking the tuxedo and heading towards a fitting room.

Koujaku looked at Noiz in surprise. At this, Noiz just shrugged. “You looked interested in it,” he told him. “It might just look good on you.”

The clerk headed back to the two of them. “The fitting room is ready,” the girl told Koujaku. “You’re free to try it on now.”

Koujaku headed to the fitting room to try on the tuxedo, and he closed the door behind him. To be honest, this tuxedo really stood out for him because of how simple, yet classy it was. He had a real eye for aesthetic and design, and this tuxedo was both elegant and refined. Letting out a quiet sigh, Koujaku undid the obi on his kimono and let it slide off his shoulders. Once he placed it neatly on the bench, he removed his jeans and hung those on the hook.

He then reached for the dress pants, sliding them on. After buttoning them up, Koujaku carefully removed the crisp white dress shirt from the hanger and put it on, buttoning it up. He then put the jacket on, adjusting it slightly before turning to look in the mirror. And he was surprised at the sight. Despite how stiff it felt, it was as if the tuxedo was made especially for Koujaku.

“Wow…” Koujaku murmured to himself. He looked quite nice in a tuxedo. It gave him an air of elegance and sophistication, and it just looked really good on him.

Suddenly, the door to the fitting room opened. “You done yet, old man?” Noiz asked.

However, Noiz stopped in surprise at the sight before him. Upon seeing Koujaku in the tuxedo, Noiz felt his face heating up. _Holy shit…_ he thought to himself. He did not expect Koujaku to be absolutely breathtaking in a tuxedo.

And he wasn’t even exaggerating. When he was in his kimono, Koujaku had a distinctly traditional charm to him. But in a tuxedo? He was basically class, dignity, and sophistication. He looked refined and serious, yet he still had his elegant charm that drove women wild. Noiz had to show this to Aoba.

“How do I look?” Koujaku asked.

Noiz blinked before clearing his throat. “Um… you look fine,” he mumbled. “Just… hold on.” Holding his coil up, Noiz snapped a picture of Koujaku. “Aoba needs to see this.”

Koujaku raised an eyebrow upon seeing Noiz’s behaviour. “Well, I actually like this,” he said. “A little bit stiff, but I can manage.”

“Now all you need is to find some appropriate shoes and accessories,” Noiz told him. “So how about you get changed? I’ll wait outside for you.”

Noiz stepped outside, closing the door behind him. Meanwhile, his heart was beating faster and his face still felt warm. What was this? Why was he suddenly feeling so flustered after seeing Koujaku in the tuxedo? There was no way that Noiz could be feeling this way for Koujaku! He already had Aoba!

But it was possible to find someone attractive, right? And even Noiz had to admit, Koujaku was very handsome. No, that was wrong. Koujaku was actually very beautiful. He didn’t look like the kind of person to be called ‘beautiful’, but he truly was. He had the refined elegance, the traditional charm, and a fiery passion within him.

His thoughts were cut short when Koujaku emerged from the fitting room in his kimono, holding the tuxedo. “So, are we going to get some accessories here?” Koujaku asked.

Noiz nodded. “Yeah.”

As they both looked around at shoes and ties, Koujaku couldn’t help but wonder to himself. How did Noiz come to hear about this place? If Noiz had never been to this part of Platinum Jail, then how would he know about this shop?

“Noiz,” he started.

“What is it?” Noiz asked, glancing at Koujaku.

“How did you hear about this place?” Koujaku asked him. “You said that you’ve never been to Aqua Forest, right? So then how’d you come to know about this shop?”

“Someone told me about it while you were getting your shampoo,” Noiz told him nonchalantly. “He was a little bit strange, though.”

Koujaku raised an eyebrow. “What’d he look like?” he asked curiously.

Noiz paused. “Well…” he started. “He had these dark-blue eyes and a tattoo on his neck. He dressed a bit like you, except his kimono was blue, and he had some skulls hanging off him. He was kind of…” Noiz’s voice trailed off.

Koujaku froze upon hearing the description, his eyes widening in stunned shock. He could not believe this. Noiz had a run-in with _that bastard_? And for that matter, the bastard had come back?! This was not good. What if he took an interest in either Noiz or Aoba? Koujaku didn’t want to even think about what could possibly happen to either of them.

“Old man?” Noiz’s voice suddenly brought him out of his stupor.

Koujaku took a deep breath, blinking slowly before turning to Noiz. “Do me a favour, Noiz,” he started, sounding tense. “Don’t talk to that man again. If either you or Aoba see him, avoid him at all costs.”

Noiz raised an eyebrow. “Why?” he asked, confused.

“He’s dangerous,” Koujaku said, his tone indicating that he wanted to drop this. “Just don’t even acknowledge him if you see him again. If not for my sake, for Aoba’s sake.”

Noiz was confused, and a little flustered. Why did Koujaku sound almost protective? The man didn’t seem too bad. What could have been so dangerous about him? Not to mention, why the hell was he suddenly getting flustered over Koujaku’s protective voice? He couldn’t help but want to ask more.

Yet the finality in Koujaku’s voice was enough to quell any further questions from Noiz. He supposed that Koujaku had a bad history with the man, and he did not like talking about it. With that in mind, Noiz decided to leave it until Koujaku was ready to share. Either that, or he could ask Aoba. Aoba may have some clue as to who the man was.

Noiz realised that he really did not know much about Koujaku. But he wanted to be able to earn his trust. Which was why he was going to just take it step-by-step. He didn’t know why he wanted to get to know Koujaku so much, but he didn’t care much. He hoped that he’d be able to get along even further with Koujaku.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ryuuhou appears, and Koujaku and Noiz get a little closer~ I hope you enjoyed :) Please leave a review!
> 
> Disclaimer: DMMD belongs to Nitro+Chiral, not me.


	5. Needle and Bunny

Aoba entered through the doors of a familiar building, smiling upon seeing the young man behind the bar counter, his back turned as he wiped some glasses. “Yo, Mizuki!” he greeted.

Mizuki turned around to greet his new customer, only for him to pause. However, his face quickly broke into a grin. “Aoba!” he greeted cheerfully. “I didn’t know you’d come back to Midorijima!”

It had been a few hours since Noiz had gone with Koujaku for tuxedo shopping. Aoba had decided to go and visit Mizuki at the Black Needle for the day, thinking that it would be a good idea to visit another old friend. And sure enough, Mizuki was more than happy to see him.

“Sorry for not telling you,” Aoba apologised as he sat down. “So, how have you been?”

“I’m doing fine, actually,” Mizuki told him. “Dry Juice is doing well, and I’ve been invited to the wedding of one of Benishigure’s members, so I’m looking forward to that. What about you? I heard that you moved to Germany with the Ruff Rabbit leader.”

Aoba nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “Germany’s really nice as well.”

Mizuki saw Ren in Aoba’s bag and grinned at him. “Nice seeing you here, Ren,” he said.

“It has been a while,” Ren responded.

“I can imagine,” Mizuki said to Aoba, grinning teasingly. “Koujaku told me that you’re now a part of the elite, right? You’re no longer one of us plebeians now!”

Aoba rolled his eyes. “Why do you make it sound like we’re in the Middle Ages?” he asked. “Koujaku was teasing me about the same thing yesterday!”

“Well, it’s true,” Mizuki said. “Apparently, Noiz is from a wealthy family in Germany, right? So, am I correct?” He glanced around. “Speaking of which, where is he?”

“Oh, he’s taken Koujaku for tuxedo shopping,” Aoba told him, laughing when Mizuki looked at him in surprise and disbelief. “Yeah, that was my reaction as well.”

“I thought they hated each other!” Mizuki said in disbelief. “What the hell even happened?”

Aoba shrugged. “I honestly have no clue,” he admitted. “They’ve been a lot more civil in their interactions towards each other, actually. It all started shortly after I had moved to Germany and I had been talking with Koujaku over video chat.”

“And?” Mizuki prompted.

“Noiz had come in and made some sort of a crack at Koujaku,” Aoba continued. “Normally, Koujaku would get really pissed off if Noiz made fun of him, but he just rolled his eyes and told him, ‘very funny, brat’ before giving his own witty response. I think even Noiz was a little surprised at that, but since then, they’ve continued to be more dry and good-humoured towards each other.”

Mizuki widened his eyes slightly. “Huh,” he said. “That’s interesting.”

“I know,” Aoba agreed. He glanced around the fairly empty bar. “Slow day?”

“Yeah,” Mizuki said.

Aoba then noticed two sketches pinned to the wall behind the bar. They looked different from Mizuki’s usual designs, and they were quite uniquely drawn. He had never even seen them before in this bar. “Nice drawings,” Aoba complimented. “Where’d you get them from?”

“Oh, those?” Mizuki smiled. “Another tattoo artist passed by an hour before you came here. He said that he really liked my designs and offered these for me. He also said something about appreciating young talent in the tattoo industry.”

“Really?” Aoba asked.

Mizuki nodded. “His name’s Ryuuhou,” he said. “He’s quite famous, actually. But his services cost millions of yen from what I heard.”

Aoba smiled. “Is he your role model or something?” he asked.

“I guess you could say that,” Mizuki said, shrugging lightly.

“Aoba.” Ren’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “You have mail.”

“Hm?” Aoba opened up his messages on his coil, only to see an image attachment from Noiz. He selected it, only for his eyes to widen in shock.

It was a photo of Koujaku, dressed in a midnight-blue tuxedo. He had a mildly confused look on his face, so Noiz must have surprised him in the process. “Holy shit…” Aoba trailed off, his face heating up. Koujaku looked really good in a tux.

Mizuki glanced at the photo, smirking slightly. “Well, well,” he said. “Looks like he’s found a tux. And he looks quite good! He should wear those more often.”

Aoba blushed as he closed it. Why was he getting flustered by a photo of Koujaku in a tuxedo? Yes, Koujaku looked handsome, but it seemed like Aoba was starting to notice it just now. What was happening? Since when was he suddenly noticing Koujaku’s smiles and good looks? He already had a boyfriend, for crying out loud!

Stammering slightly, Aoba closed the attachment. “Dammit…” he muttered. This was not good for his mind.

 

* * *

 

Koujaku and Noiz made their way out of Platinum Jail, having finished tuxedo shopping not too long ago. While Koujaku carried the garment bag that had his tux, Noiz carried the bag that held his shoes and tie.

“You know, there was an option of renting the tuxedo,” Koujaku told Noiz, sounding disgruntled. “You didn’t have to spend so much money.”

“Why not?” Noiz countered. “I’m doing this because I wanted to, so consider it my treat for you.”

The tuxedo had been a very expensive one, and so were the shoes and tie. Koujaku had wanted to rent it out originally, claiming that it would be a lot cheaper, but Noiz just ignored him and bought the tux, shoes, and tie, paying for all of it despite Koujaku’s protests.

“At least let me repay you,” Koujaku insisted. “It’s only fair.”

Noiz rolled his eyes. “Geez… you’re sounding like Aoba,” he mumbled. “You’re both almost the same. You both say I don’t have to do this or that for you and always want to do something to repay me…” There was a slightly fond tone in his voice.

“I don’t care what you say, brat,” Koujaku told him. “I’m going to repay you.”

“Well, if you insist…” Noiz conceded. “What do you have in mind, old man?”

Koujaku couldn’t help but smirk. “Just follow me,” he said.

Once they left Platinum Jail, the both of them made their way down Aoyagi Street. Noiz followed behind Koujaku, wondering what he had in mind in terms of ‘repayment’. He also briefly wondered what Aoba was up to right now.

“Here we are,” Koujaku said, interrupting Noiz’s thoughts.

Noiz looked up at the building. To his surprise, it was a pet store. “What the-?” He was really bewildered. Why the hell did Koujaku bring him to a pet store out of all the places?

“What are we doing here?” Noiz asked as he followed Koujaku into the store. He looked around and saw a variety of animals. There were cats, dogs, birds, and goldfish. But what really caught his attention were the bunnies. There were so many of them, all of them with twitching noses and curious eyes. Noiz couldn’t help but want to reach out and pet them.

At that moment, Koujaku made his way up to the girl behind the counter. “Is it possible to use the petting area?” he asked. “My friend here is interested in petting some of the bunnies.”

Upon hearing that, Noiz’s eyes widened in shock. _Wait… is he serious?_

The girl nodded. “Sure thing,” she said. “Which bunny would he like to pet?”

Noiz thought for a split second before he gave his answer, smiling eagerly. “All of them,” he said.

The clerk then led Noiz to the petting area before opening up the pen of bunnies into the area. Almost immediately, the bunnies scattered around, several of them coming up to Noiz and sniffing him curiously. Noiz cautiously held his hand out to one of them, tentatively stroking their fur. As he ruffled its fur, a small smile gradually broke out onto his face.

Noiz just couldn’t stop petting the various bunnies around him. Their fur was just so soft and fluffy and warm. He had been given some rabbit food by the clerk, so he decided to try feeding a carrot to them. With this in mind, Noiz held out a carrot to one of the bunnies. “Come here…” he coaxed gently.

The bunny sniffed at the carrot before moving closer to eat it. Noiz smiled as he placed the carrot on the ground, letting the bunny finish it off. However, it was like moths being drawn to a flame. Immediately, all the bunnies were coming towards Noiz and climbing onto his lap, trying to get more food from him.

Noiz laughed as they climbed all over him, enjoying the feeling of their soft fur. So this was what Koujaku meant when he said that he wanted to repay him? Well, Noiz was extremely happy, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Meanwhile, Koujaku watched from the observation window, a fond smile on his face. He knew that Noiz had a real soft spot for bunnies, which was why he had brought him to this pet store. Koujaku did not really expect to see the sheer happiness in Noiz’s eyes, however. The way his eyes lit up with pure joy upon petting these bunnies… it was strangely adorable.

Koujaku’s eyes widened in surprise. _Wait… did I just think that Noiz is adorable?_ What the hell was he even thinking? There was no way that he could find this brat adorable! But still… the smile that was on Noiz’s face wasn’t a smug smile. It was a genuinely happy one, the same kind of smile that he’d give to Aoba. Koujaku had to admit, it was rather endearing to watch. He did not want to forget this moment, so he discreetly snapped a photo of Noiz smiling and covered in bunnies.

 _I might as well show Aoba this._ Koujaku thought. So he sent the photo to Aoba with a message reading, ‘someone’s in Heaven’.

“Oi, Koujaku,” Beni’s voice interrupted Koujaku’s thoughts. “What’s with this? Why’d you bring the Rhyme kid to the pet store?”

“Repayment,” Koujaku told him. “After all, he went out of his way to pay for my tux. I figured that it would be fair to repay him with something that he liked.”

Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Beni began preening himself. And Koujaku continued to watch the endearing scene before him for another fifteen minutes before Noiz’s time was up and the bunnies were put away in their pen.

 

* * *

 

 

Noiz emerged from the shower, wearing nothing but a towel around his hips. He sighed as the cool air in the hallway hit his skin, feeling very relaxed.

He had come home an hour ago after the visit at the pet store. Aoba had come back before him, so he was just spending time with Ren up in his room. It was now evening, so Tae-san would be coming home shortly. “Hey,” Noiz greeted as he walked into Aoba’s room.

Aoba glanced up from the bed, shutting off the music on his headphones. “Hey,” Aoba said as Noiz sat down next to him. He leaned over and connected his lips with Noiz’s in a kiss, which Noiz returned eagerly.

“How was it?” Aoba asked when he pulled away.

“It went fine,” Noiz said. A small grin crossed his face. “I missed you, though.” He leaned in and gave Aoba a more sensual kiss, wrapping his arms around his body.

Aoba kissed him back, their lips moving sweetly as Noiz deepened the kiss. “Mmm…” Aoba giggled slightly, pulling away. “Not now, you dork! Tell me about your day!” Even so, in spite of the protest, Aoba removed his shirt.

“Well, we went to Platinum Jail to buy Koujaku’s tux,” Noiz started. “It was in an area called Aqua Forest, and there were some high-quality tuxedos in the store. You saw the picture that I sent, right?”

Aoba nodded. “Yeah,” he said, trying not to blush as he remembered the picture. “It looked good on him, honestly.”

“You're right,” Noiz said, smiling. “When the price came up, the old man kept on insisting to rent it out on the account that it would be cheaper.” He snorted. “I still bought it for him.”

“Of course,” Aoba chuckled. “Oh yeah, and that reminds me. I got a picture from Koujaku today.” He reached for his coil, turning it on and selecting the photo that was sent, showing it to Noiz.

Noiz’s eyes widened in surprise upon seeing the photo of himself, smiling and having fun with the bunnies. “He took a picture of that?!”

“Oh come on,” Aoba said, smiling. “It’s kind of cute, honestly. But what were you doing in the pet store?”

At the question, Noiz felt his face heating up slightly for some reason. “Koujaku took me there as a form of repayment,” he said. “I don’t get it. Why’s he being so… courteous towards me?”

Noiz was confused, to be honest. The fact that his former rival was treating him with kindness and courtesy really bewildered him, especially considering their past fights. But now, it was like Koujaku was attempting to befriend him. And even more, this didn’t even feel like there were ulterior motives. It was genuine kindness that Koujaku was showing towards him.

Aoba smiled. “That’s really sweet, honestly,” he told him. “I told you, Koujaku can be really nice once you get to know him.”

Meanwhile, Aoba himself was feeling a slight confusion. After hearing how Koujaku had taken Noiz to the pet store as repayment, he felt a warm feeling within his heart. Koujaku was generally a sweet person, but to hear that he was treating Noiz like this made him feel a little… curious. Aoba couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to spend time with Koujaku like that. To be shown such care and consideration like that.

Noiz shook his head, trying to get rid of the flustered feeling. “How was visiting Mizuki?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah, that went fine,” Aoba said. He smiled. “I’m glad to see he’s doing well, and that there’s no hard feelings between us.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Noiz smiled. “Now then… let’s continue,” he said, smirking.

Aoba rolled his eyes and laughed before pulling Noiz in for a kiss, falling back on the bed. It wasn’t long before the rest of his clothes were pulled off and Noiz’s towel was discarded. Aoba wrapped his legs around Noiz’s waist, moaning into his mouth as Noiz grinded his hips against his crotch. It wasn’t long before they both lost themselves in each other, Aoba moaning and crying out in pleasure as Noiz thrusted into him repeatedly. It was just what they needed after today.

When it was over and Noiz pulled out, he lay down next to Aoba, cooling off a little after wiping the both of them down. As Noiz steadied his breathing, he couldn’t help but recall Koujaku’s attitude in Platinum Jail after Noiz told him about the stranger.

Koujaku had sounded angry and tense, like the guy was some sort of enemy for him. He wondered if Aoba knew about the guy as well. If Noiz had to guess, the guy in the blue kimono was someone who hurt Aoba when he was a kid, and Koujaku had fought him for it. He wouldn’t be too surprised if that was the case, especially since Koujaku was quite protective over Aoba.

“Aoba?” Noiz asked as he pulled the sheets over their bodies. “May I tell you something?”

Aoba glanced at Noiz. “Sure,” he said.

“On our way for tux shopping, Koujaku had to make a stop to buy some hair products,” Noiz started. “When I was trying to find the route for the formal clothing shop, some guy came up to me and told me about a tuxedo shop in Platinum Jail. He was kind of strange, though.”

“How so?” Aoba asked, curious.

“He had a tattoo on his neck, he wore a blue kimono, and he had several skulls hanging off of him,” Noiz said. “Do you know about a guy like that?”

Aoba raised an eyebrow and shook his head. “No, I don’t,” he said. “Why?”

“Koujaku asked me how I heard about the store in Platinum Jail,” Noiz explained. “When I told him, he… he got angry. He told me that you and I should avoid the guy and never talk to him, even if he speaks to us.” He frowned. “Because Koujaku mentioned you, I thought that he was some guy who hurt you when you were a kid, and Koujaku fought him.”

“No, actually,” Aoba said, sounding confused. “I’ve never met a guy like that when I was a kid. Maybe he’s from Koujaku’s own childhood or something. Hold on.” He reached down and picked Ren up, turning him on.

“Aoba,” Ren spoke.

“Ren, I need you to look something up,” Aoba told him. “Can you try looking up a man with skulls and a blue kimono?”

“Roger.” The puppy Allmate started searching immediately. Within a few seconds, he found a result.

“It appears that this man is a famed tattoo artist,” Ren told them. “His name is Ryuuhou, and he has worked as a tattoo artist for several years now. His works are admired by many aspiring artists because of the intricate designs and patterns, and he charges millions of yen per session.”

Aoba’s eyes widened in shock. “This guy… he stopped by at the Black Needle before I arrived!” he recalled. “Mizuki told me about it. He apparently liked Mizuki’s designs and gave him some sketches.”

“Seriously?” Noiz was also surprised. “Oi Ren, think you can find us any more information about this Ryuuhou person?”

“Unfortunately, that is all I could find,” Ren said. “He does have a relatively hidden connection with Toue, but that is all that was there.”

Aoba nodded. “I see,” he said. “Thanks.”

“The pleasure is mine.”

Aoba sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “That’s all we can do, I guess,” he conceded. “Looks like I don’t know Koujaku as well as I thought I did.” He turned to Noiz. “What should we do?”

“We should listen to Koujaku, I guess,” Noiz supposed. “He’ll tell us when he’s ready. In the meantime, we should at least respect his wishes.”

Right then, they heard the sound of the front door opening, indicating that Tae-san had come home. Upon hearing this, Aoba and Noiz quickly climbed out of bed and put on some fresh clothes before heading downstairs to greet her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the title of this chapter. I was so stuck on what to call it. Anyways, I hope you enjoy chapter 5 :) Let me know how I did :)
> 
> Disclaimer: DMMD belongs to Nitro+Chiral, not me.


	6. Decoration

_ Screams and cries of pain pierced the air, followed by the sounds of blood splattering everywhere and bodies hitting the ground. The stench of blood hung in the air, but he didn’t give a damn. All that he could think about was that it hurt. It hurt so much. He hated everything and everyone in that damned compound. His father for forcing him to do this, his real wife for hurting his mother, and the bastard who hurt him beyond belief. _

_ A growl spilled from Koujaku’s lips as he swung his sword at one of his father’s men, mercilessly slashing him down. His gaze was then directed towards his father and his real wife, and he glared at them as they cowered in fear. _

_ They barely had time to open their mouths when Koujaku cut them down brutally, their blood flying everywhere. But then, there was a voice. _

_ “Koujaku!” He turned around, but he didn’t see who it was. All that was running through his mind was kill, kill, kill. And before he realised, he was charging towards the unknown voice, his sword raised. _

_ “Koujaku! Please, no m-” The plea was interrupted when Koujaku’s sword pierced through the body, draining them of their life. _

Koujaku’s eyes flew open and he shot up from bed, breathing heavily. He looked around, realising that he was in his room, away from the compound. He let out a sigh, closing his eyes as he wiped the sweat away from his forehead. Yawning, Koujaku glanced at the time, noticing that it was past three-thirty in the morning.

A few days had passed since he had gotten his tux with Noiz. In that time, old nightmares had been resurfacing after Noiz had encountered Ryuuhou, and since then, he was being haunted by hidden trauma and horrible memories. He could never forget what Ryuuhou had done to him, especially what he had done besides giving him tattoos. His filthy touches on his body were something that Koujaku could never forget, no matter how much he wanted to.

Sighing again, Koujaku got out of bed. There was no point in going back to sleep, since the same nightmares would just come back. Koujaku slipped some sleep pants on and, still shirtless, walked to the main room of his apartment. Near his window, there were some traditional Japanese instruments lined up neatly. Among them were a shamisen, a biwa, a tsuri-daiko, and the koto.

Koujaku was very skilled in the koto, but he was trying to teach himself how to play the shamisen and the biwa as well. After all, his mother never got the chance to teach him how to play the other instruments. So Koujaku picked up the koto before placing it on the ground in front of him. He kneeled down before the zither, his fingers finding the strings for the song he normally played.

He started to strum the chords for his favourite song ‘Sakura Sakura’. As he played the familiar notes, Koujaku closed his eyes started to sing the lyrics that his mother often sang for him.

_ “Sakura, sakura… noyama mo sato mo… mi-watasu kagiri… kasumi ka kumo ka… asahi ni niou… sakura, sakura… hana zakari…”  _ Koujaku sang the first stanza softly.

As he sang the next stanza, Koujaku felt his nerves slowly calming. However, he also felt a few tears in his eyes. Everytime he sang this song, Koujaku would always remember how he always cried out for his mother after a nightmare. She would come into his room with her koto before hugging Koujaku and gently comforting him. Once he had calmed down, his mother would then gently play ‘Sakura Sakura’, or any other song for him, singing softly to him. She had a really lovely voice, and it never failed to soothe Koujaku. Occasionally, she would sing his other favourite song ‘Kojo no Tsuki’, but Koujaku could never play that song after a nightmare, lest he wanted even more memories to hit him. The lyrics of that song always hit too close to home for him. But ‘Sakura Sakura’ was a simple folk song about the cherry blossoms, and not about a ruined castle.

The song came to an end, and Koujaku opened his eyes. He felt a lot calmer now, yet the memories would not go away. It was still pretty late, and he had a long day ahead of him. Today, Koujaku was going to Flame Willow along with Benishigure to help assist in decorating the venue for the wedding. Aoba was also going to be coming along with him to help out.

“I should go to sleep…” Koujaku mumbled to himself as he put the koto back in its usual spot before getting up from the floor.

 

* * *

It was around ten o’clock when Koujaku arrived at Flame Willow with Aoba, Mizuki, and Benishigure. Upon arriving, Koujaku couldn’t help but look around in amazement. It was even more amazing than Aqua Forest, even more luxurious. The entire district had a very traditional Japanese theme to it, with some Japanese-style buildings and lanterns. It appeared that the main colour of the area was red, which gave it a somewhat comforting atmosphere.

“Wow…” Koujaku murmured as they walked through the area. “I’d like to check this place out a little bit more some day.”

“I know, right?” Mizuki agreed. “Daisuke-kun and Priya-san did a good job in choosing the place, don’t you think? A Japanese venue with some Indian decorations would look really good.”

Aoba also couldn’t help but be fascinated by the district. It really seemed like a place that Koujaku would enjoy visiting. In fact, he couldn’t help but observe Koujaku in this district. It really looked like he belonged in this place right now.

It wasn’t long before they arrived at the venue. It was a traditional Japanese building which held a similar appearance of the Byodo-in temple from Kyoto. There was a red Shinto gate that stood before the building, and a large garden surrounded the area. The hall was truly beautiful, and it really seemed like a wonderful place to get married.

“This is pretty impressive,” Aoba commented.

“It’s going to be kind of like a mix between two cultures,” Koujaku explained. “That’s why they chose this place, especially after Platinum Jail opened up the Old Resident District.”

Right outside of the hall was a tall man with dark hair, and an Indian woman with long black hair and brown eyes. Aoba knew that this was the happy couple to be married.

“Yo, Daisuke-kun!” Hagima greeted them.

“Morning!” Daisuke greeted. “Thanks for agreeing to help us today!”

Koujaku smiled. “No problem,” he said. “By the time we’re done, this place is going to look amazing.”

“But then there’s the catering that we’ll have to sort out,” the woman, Priya, added. Aoba noticed that her Japanese had a slight accent to it.

“Yep! So let’s get started!” Kou said.

Everyone entered the building, which was fairly empty for the most part. The inside had a slightly more modern appearance to it, and Aoba saw several tables and chairs in the hallway outside of the main hall. In addition, there were lots of boxes of other decorations, including what looked like centerpiece candles and flowers.

“We’ll have to take the tables in one at a time,” Koujaku told everyone. “It looks like Daisuke-kun and Priya-san have marked the areas where the tables go, so let’s set them up on those areas.” He made his way to one of the tables, bending down to pick it up while Hagima held the other side.

The two of them lifted it up and slowly carried it into the main hall, unfolding the legs before placing it on a small ‘x’ that was made from red tape. Two other Benishigure members carried in the second table and placed it on another red x. As two more members carried in another table, Aoba approached Koujaku. “Need some help?” he asked, bending down at the other side to hold it.

Koujaku grinned. “Sure thing,” he said. “Just be careful, though.”

They both lifted it up, though Aoba struggled a little. “Gah… this is heavy!” he groaned as they carried it into the hall, unfolding the legs and placing it atop of a red x.

“Phew!” Aoba wiped some sweat away from his forehead.

“Oi, Aoba,” Koujaku said. He gave his childhood friend a smile. “Thanks for coming to help us out. I really appreciate it.”

Aoba’s eyes widened in surprise at the smile. It wasn’t one of his ladykiller smiles, it was a sweet and genuine smile that Koujaku was giving him. At this, Aoba felt his face heating up and he averted his eyes. “Y-Yeah…” he mumbled. “You’re welcome.”

What was this? Why was he suddenly becoming all flustered over Koujaku? Aoba had never felt like this before, so why was he suddenly getting these feelings? Besides, he already had Noiz, so he should not be feeling like this for Koujaku!

“You okay?” Koujaku’s voice interrupted Aoba’s thoughts.

Aoba noticed that Koujaku was looking at him with mild concern on his face.

“Y-Yeah!” Aoba insisted. “I’m fine, really!” He made his way over to one of the stacks of chairs. “Come on, let’s start putting up chairs!”

Koujaku nodded and grabbed one of the chairs, carrying it into the hall. Pretty much all the tables had been set up, so it was now time to put up the chairs. Aoba followed Koujaku with another chair, and so did the other Benishigure members.

“Man, I’ll bet this place is going to look real nice once this is over,” Aoba said as he placed the chair down by one of the tables.

“I hope so,” Hagima commented.

“What kind of decorations will we use?” Aoba asked, looking at Koujaku.

“Well, according to Daisuke-kun and Priya-san, the tablecloths are all going to be red,” Koujaku started. “The centerpieces are going to be little candles called diyas surrounded by marigold flowers underneath miniature red royal umbrellas.”

“Over there,” Mizuki said, pointing to the small stage, “we’ll be putting up a swing called a jhoola for Daisuke-kun and Priya-san. For lighting, we’re going to be hanging up some small metal lanterns along with garlands. There’s going to be a bit of colourful traditional fabric being used as well.”

Aoba couldn’t help but be amazed. “Wow… It really sounds like it’s going to be fun,” he mused.

Ren wagged his tail. “It seems that the couple have put in a lot of thought for this wedding,” he commented.

Koujaku smiled slightly. “Yeah, they wanted this to be a memorable day for not just themselves but for their families and the guests,” he said wistfully.

As Aoba listened, he couldn’t help but look at Koujaku. It seemed like just now, he was starting to notice just how handsome Koujaku was, and he just couldn’t keep his eyes off his hands. Koujaku always had such beautiful hands, and Aoba wondered how would they feel in his own hair. But it wasn’t just his hands. Koujaku was a very attractive man, and extremely charming. Not to mention, he was as sweet as always.

But what really surprised Aoba was that he found himself wondering what it would be like to kiss Koujaku. After all, Koujaku was quite the player, so he definitely had a lot of experience. In fact, Koujaku seemed to be a very passionate kind of lover, someone who was very sensual in the bedroom. He would probably be gentle and caring to his partner and would always make sure that they felt good before-

_ What the-?!  _ Aoba realised what he was thinking. Why the hell was he thinking about his childhood friend like that?! What would Noiz say if he found out?!

“I… I need to step out a little,” Aoba mumbled, picking Ren up and leaving the hall.

Once he was outside, Aoba leaned against the wall, feeling his heart beating fast. “What is this…?” he wondered to himself.  _ Why am I feeling like this? Since when have I ever felt this way around Koujaku? _

He was so confused. Ever since he and Noiz arrived in Midorijima, Aoba could not stop thinking about Koujaku. But what was weird was when Noiz and Koujaku had gone tuxedo shopping a few days ago, Aoba had felt a little bit jealous. He didn’t know if he was jealous of Noiz for getting to spend time with Koujaku, or if he was jealous of Koujaku for being able to see Noiz having fun in a pet store.

Yet there was also the issue of their discovery from a few days ago. Aoba had no idea what happened that made Koujaku develop such anger towards Ryuuhou, but whatever it was, it made him realise that he did not know his childhood friend as well as he thought he did. Koujaku smiled all the time, but only Aoba saw the real him on his veranda. And the real Koujaku often had a somewhat distant look in his eyes, despite his smile.

Why did Aoba feel such a need to spend some more time with Koujaku? Why did he even think about kissing him?

“Is something the matter, Aoba?” Ren asked.

Aoba sighed. “I… I don’t know…” he admitted. “It’s about Koujaku. I don’t know why, but I’ve suddenly started having thoughts about kissing him and going out with him, even though I already have Noiz! I shouldn’t even be having such thoughts, but I also felt a little bit jealous of Noiz when he got to spend almost the entirety of the other day with Koujaku.”

“I see,” Ren said.

“I can’t help but feel guilty when I feel like this,” Aoba said. “Everytime I think like this, I feel like I’m cheating on Noiz and that makes me feel terrible, you know?”

Ren listened patiently before speaking up. “I would say that it is perfectly fine to think that someone is attractive even while you are in a relationship,” he told him. “But if this is truly bothering you, then it is best for you to talk to Noiz about this.”

Aoba nodded. “I guess you’re right,” he conceded. “Well, I’ll go back there and finish helping out.”

Picking up Ren, Aoba went back into the hall to help finish up with decorating. He saw that most of the tables already had tablecloths on them, so he headed over to Koujaku, who was busy creating the centerpieces. “Need some help?” he asked.

Koujaku looked up and gave Aoba a small grin. “Sure,” he said. “Just watch how I’m doing this and follow me, got it?”

As Aoba observed Koujaku, he made his way to a nearby table to arrange the materials for the centerpiece. He arranged three small diyas so that the backs were touching, before placing some marigold blossoms around them. Then, behind the diyas, Aoba opened up a miniature royal umbrella and placed it behind.

“Not bad!” Koujaku praised. “Keep it up, Aoba.”

They continued decorating until it was time for a lunch break. By then, most of the hall was decorated very beautifully. Only a few more decorations were left to take care of, and then the catering had to be sorted out, and then they would be done.

“So, Koujaku,” Aoba started. “Gotten your speech ready?”

Koujaku nodded. “Mm-hmm,” he said. “I also made sure to buy a gift for them.”

“What’d you get?”

“A Japanese tea set,” Koujaku said. “I thought that they could use it to enjoy some tea together.”

Aoba looked around the hall. “You know, this looks really nice,” he said. “And it’s so refreshing from the last wedding we went to. You know what it was like? It was all white, and there weren’t any other colours to be seen!”

Koujaku raised an eyebrow. “Well, some couples like a white wedding, I guess,” he said.

“It wasn’t that!” Aoba told him. “It was just so painfully white, and I mean everything! The decorations, the centerpieces, the cake, the chairs, the flowers, it was all white! Like, did they hate the colours so much?!” He sighed. “Here, there’s so many colours that it’s just very refreshing.”

“Someone’s looking forward to it, hm?” Koujaku asked, smiling in amusement.

“Yeah,” Aoba agreed, trying not to blush upon seeing Koujaku’s smile.

Once lunch break was over, everyone went back to decorating. It didn’t take too long before it was all finished, and by then, it was mid-afternoon and everyone else was heading home.

“Don’t forget, after the wedding, we’ll have to help clean up,” Mizuki said. “But hey, it’ll be worth it, right?”

“Yeah,” Koujaku agreed. “Well, we should start going home. See you around, Aoba!”

“See you!” Aoba called back as he made his way towards the exit of Platinum Jail.

 

* * *

 

Aoba climbed up the stairs, heading towards his room. When he opened the door, he saw Noiz lounging against it, reading something on his coil. Upon hearing the door open, Noiz looked up and gave Aoba a smile. “Welcome back,” he said.

“Hey,” Aoba greeted as he made his way over to the bed. He immediately wrapped his arms around Noiz, kissing him deeply and passionately.

Noiz kissed him back in the same way, holding him tightly as he pulled Aoba onto his lap. When they pulled away, Aoba had a slight blush.

“So, how’d it go?” Noiz asked.

“The hall is looking really nice!” Aoba told him, smiling. “It’s very colourful and festive, and it looks really pretty! Here, I took a picture of it!” Fiddling with his coil, Aoba showed the picture of the hall to Noiz.

“Wow,” Noiz said, raising his eyebrows in surprise. “Looks really fancy and colourful.”

“I know! It’s so much better than your cousin’s wedding hall!” Aoba agreed.

“Also, what was with that kiss?” Noiz asked. “What brought it on?”

At the mention of that, Aoba sighed. “I need to tell you something,” he started. “But please don’t get mad.”

Noiz raised an eyebrow but nodded. “Okay.”

“It’s about Koujaku,” Aoba said, sounding guilty. “I don’t know why, but for some reason, I’ve been thinking about him a lot more than usual, and it’s getting to the point where I feel like I’m cheating on you. Like, I can’t help but think that he’s attractive, and for some reason, I’ve been wondering what it would be like to kiss him. I’m so sorry, Noiz. I really don’t want to have these thoughts, but no matter what I do, nothing seems to work.” Aoba took a deep breath. “I’m so sorry.”

“Whoa, why are you feeling guilty about this?” Noiz asked.

Aoba looked up and saw that Noiz wasn’t angry. He had a slight smile on his face. “You know, I don’t blame you,” he told Aoba. “I’ve also started thinking that Koujaku’s pretty hot as well.”

At that, Aoba blushed. “You too?”

Noiz nodded. “I’ve started noticing a lot more about him,” he said. “His kindness, his looks, his charisma. I also felt a little worried when I thought about him like that and I would wonder what you would think after.”

“There’s more, though,” Aoba said. “Ever since that discovery about Ryuuhou, I’ve become even more curious. I want to know more about Koujaku, like, what kind of grudge does he have against Ryuuhou?”

“Me too,” Noiz admitted. “But we can’t just rush. We have to take our time.”

Aoba nodded. “I… I’m so confused,” he mumbled.

“Yeah, me too,” Noiz agreed.

Neither of them understood why they were feeling like this. However, they decided that maybe time would tell what these feelings were. After all, there was no rush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aoba and Noiz are now conflicted over their feelings~ And the next chapter will be the wedding! Let me know how I did :) I hope you all enjoyed!
> 
> Disclaimer: DMMD belongs to Nitro+Chiral, not me.


	7. Wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Indian weddings tend to last a lot longer than this one, but I chose to make it shorter for the purpose of this story. On another note, since I am Indian myself, it was fun to write about this! And for the dance, I recommend you listen to this song to get an idea as to what the music sounds like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iRI4ZhJC6Y

It was now late afternoon, a couple of hours before the wedding, and Koujaku was getting ready before he could head down to Flame Willow to style Priya’s hair. He had just finished his shower, and he dried off before going into his bedroom to get dressed. Removing the tuxedo from the garment bag, Koujaku put on a pair of boxers before putting the dress pants on. After putting a belt around it, Koujaku then put on the white dress shirt, buttoning it up before putting the peak-lapelled jacket on.

He looked at himself in the mirror, smiling slightly. Koujaku had to admit, he looked pretty nice. All he had to do was brush and style his own hair, put on his tie, and then his shoes, and then he’d be ready.

As Koujaku combed through his hair, he heard the sound of someone knocking on his door. He quickly made his way to the door, opening it, only to be surprised at the visitors. It was none other than Aoba and Noiz. And upon looking at them, Koujaku felt his face warming up quite quickly.

Both Aoba and Noiz were dressed in three-piece suits, looking as classy and sophisticated as ever. Aoba was dressed in a gray three-piece suit with a blue tie, and his hair was tied up in a high ponytail. Noiz was dressed in his standard green three-piece suit, and he was looking pretty damn good.

“Well, aren’t you going to let us in?” Noiz asked.

Koujaku blinked. “Oh. Right,” he mumbled. “Come in, I’m still getting myself ready.”

Aoba and Noiz stepped inside Koujaku’s apartment as Koujaku went back into his room to finish up with his hair. Rather than tying it into his regular side ponytail, Koujaku tied it in a half-up half-down style, pinning it together with his mother’s hairpin. He put some socks on before sliding on the black dress shoes. Once he had taken care of that, Koujaku sprayed a little bit of perfume that he wore on special occasions: a frankincense and myrrh perfume with hints of orange blossoms.

All that was left was the tie, which Koujaku was still stumped on, despite having looked up instructions to tie it up. It seemed like he struggled to get a proper tie, and no matter how many times he did so, it wasn’t looking immaculate. Giving up, Koujaku left his room.

“Can either one of you help me with my tie?” Koujaku asked, entering the main room.

Noiz glanced up, smirking teasingly. “Don’t know how to tie a tie, old man?” he teased.

Koujaku narrowed his eyes. “Just help me out,” he said.

Noiz shrugged and got up, taking the tie and doing it properly. “There you go.” He took a step back, only to be slightly stunned. In fact, even Aoba couldn’t stop looking at Koujaku in hushed amazement.

Koujaku looked really good in his tuxedo. He basically looked like the personification of class, elegance, and refinement. However, what made him really stand out was his hairstyle, which gave him the traditional and graceful beauty that he had when he wore his kimono. Not to mention, it gave him that soft look that charmed so many girls around him. Simply put, Koujaku looked  _ hot _ . And much to both Aoba and Noiz’s dismay, they were both feeling flustered.

“Well, how do I look?” Koujaku asked.

_ Oh no, you’re so hot.  _ Aoba thought. Out loud, he smiled and said, “Looking great!”

_ Fuck, I severely underestimated how handsome he looks in a tuxedo.  _ Noiz thought. Out loud, he said, “Not bad.”

Koujaku smiled. “Thank you,” he said. “I have to get going to Flame Willow now, since I have to style the bride’s hair. Want to join me?”

“Sure, I guess,” Aoba conceded.

Koujaku put his coil around his wrist, placed Beni on his shoulder, and then took a gift that was neatly wrapped in gold wrapping paper. “Come on,” Koujaku told them.

The three of them left Koujaku’s apartment and began making their way to Platinum Jail. As they started walking, Koujaku glanced at Aoba and Noiz, noticing that Noiz was holding a present in his hand. “Did you guys get something for Daisuke-kun and Priya-san?” he asked.

Aoba nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “We got them a set of plates, since we didn’t know exactly what they’d like.”

“Oh, they’ll be more than happy with it,” Koujaku reassured them. “And by the way, you both look really nice.”

“Thank you,” Noiz said calmly, despite the fact that his face felt warm. “You… Your house is nice. It seems very traditional.”

“Nah, it’s not that traditional,” Koujaku told him. “If you really want to see what a real traditional Japanese house looks like, you should go to the mainland. But since it’s too much money to actually imitate that style here, I made do with whatever I could find.” He gave Noiz a warm smile. “But thank you.”

They continued to walk in silence. Meanwhile, Noiz started thinking to himself. He had to admit, he was looking forward to attending this wedding, partly because he was curious to see what it would be like, but partly because there wouldn’t be any family members to nag at him over and over again.

That had been one of the reasons why he hated attending his cousin’s wedding. One of his aunts, along with her daughter, had immediately cornered him during the reception and had really pushed him to his breaking point. They basically told him that he had been selfish and cruel to suddenly run away from his family to a foreign country and not even contact them. For the most part, Noiz had attempted to stay calm as they flung accusations at him, but what really pissed him off was when they suggested that he had been seduced by Aoba and that his boyfriend was just with him for his wealth. It had hurt so much that Noiz ended up leaving the wedding with Aoba.

Noiz shook his head to try and rid himself of those memories. He refused to let his day be ruined by the bad memories of his cousin’s wedding.

It didn’t take too long before they arrived at the venue in Flame Willow. Outside of the venue was a sign that displayed a photo of the happy couple, both of them dressed in Indian wedding attire, holding hands and smiling. Underneath the photo in elegant cursive were the words ‘Daisuke & Priya’. But what really caught both Aoba and Noiz’s attention was the cheesy line of ‘He stole her heart, so she’s stealing his last name’. Despite how cheesy it was, it made the both of them smile.

“Like it?” Koujaku asked, grinning. “Priya-san’s sister added that.”

“Ah! Koujaku-san!” Right then, Priya walked up to him, not yet dressed in her wedding clothes. “You’re here!”

“Of course,” he told her, giving her a smile. “And by the time I’m done with your hair, everyone is going to have their eyes on you.”

Priya laughed as Koujaku followed her into the building. “See you in a bit!” he called to Aoba and Noiz.

Aoba and Noiz also entered the building, going into the wedding hall to mingle a little. The hall was filled with various people, all of them dressed nicely. All of Benishigure was there, all the members dressed in tuxedos. In addition, there were several Indian people in Indian clothing, all of them conversing with one another or with members of Benishigure.

“Yo! Looking good!” Right then, Mizuki came up to them, smiling cheerily. Much to Aoba’s surprise, Mizuki had cleaned up really nicely, and was dressed in a maroon-coloured tuxedo with a shawl lapel and a black bow tie.

Aoba smiled. “You look pretty good yourself, Mizuki,” he complimented.

“Thanks,” Mizuki laughed. “It took a while for me to find this one. I chose it because according to the tailor, it was practically made for me.”

As Aoba and Mizuki talked with each other, Noiz looked around the hall in muted fascination.

The hall was decorated with a lot of bright colours. There were flowers hanging from the walls and small candles lit in several corners. But what really caught his attention was the large swing towards the center. It looked lively and very pretty, and everyone looked like they were ready to have a good time.

“How long is the ceremony going to be?” Noiz asked.

“Ah, well, according to Priya-san, Indian weddings typically last several days,” Mizuki started. “Already, some of the pre-wedding rituals like the henna night have come and gone. However, they both decided to have it on one day to avoid it running too long, and to make it more memorable. So they picked and chose certain parts to include.” He then grinned. “There’s also gonna be some dancing during the reception, which I’m looking forward to.”

“Sounds like it’ll be interesting!” Aoba said. He then noticed an elderly Indian man setting some things up near the swing. “Is he the priest?”

“Yeah,” Mizuki said. “He’s just setting up things for the ceremony.” He glanced down at his coil. “I should find a good place to sit. And so should you. The ceremony will start soon.”

Aoba nodded. “Got it.”

As Mizuki left to find a place to sit, Aoba and Noiz found themselves a place towards the front, sitting in two chairs. They still had their gifts to give in the receiving line for after the ceremony, so Noiz placed it in an empty chair next to him, saving it for Koujaku.

It wasn’t long before the other guests began to sit down. That was when Koujaku came in, and upon seeing Aoba and Noiz, he went over to sit down in the saved seat. “Thank you for saving me a place,” Koujaku said, smiling.

“So, how’d it go?” Aoba asked.

Koujaku smiled. “Let me tell you, she looks wonderful,” he said. “No one will be able to keep their eyes off her when she enters.”

At this point, Daisuke was already sitting in front of the hearth, where a fire would be lit soon. He was dressed in a cream-coloured sherwani with matching pants. Right then, all talking ceased at that moment, and everyone turned to the doors. Aoba and Noiz also turned to look, and they stared in amazement.

Priya stood in the doorway, dressed in a red bridal saree, a red dupatta wrapped around her head. Her eyes were lined with kohl, and a red bindi was planted in the center of her forehead. Her lips were red, and a gold nethichutti was on her head. Her long black hair was tied in a side braid, adorned with gold accessories and some flowers. Her neck and wrists were adorned with gold jewelry, and her hands were decorated with intricate henna. Next to her stood her father, holding her hands.

As she and her father walked down the center, Aoba and Noiz couldn’t help but be awed. She looked very beautiful and extremely happy, and her hair was styled very wonderfully. Koujaku really outdid himself with her hair.

They watched as the father led Priya up to Daisuke, then took her hand and placed it into Daisuke’s hand. Daisuke himself was awed by the sight of his soon-to-be wife. The priest then chanted a hymn of sorts before the father spoke to Daisuke, making him promise not to fail Priya in a pursuit of a moral life, love, and wealth. Daisuke then repeated this three times before he and Priya sat down on the ground in front of the fire pit, which was then lit up.

As the fire burned, Aoba and Noiz observed them holding hands as Daisuke repeated another chant. When he was done, the musicians started playing as both Daisuke and Priya stood up. They both held flower garlands and exchanged them, placing them around the other’s necks. Once this was over, they exchanged rings, and then they both walked around the fire seven times. When they finished the seventh circuit, they recited their vows to each other. After this, Daisuke dipped his right thumb into bright red kumkum, or sindoor, and marked Priya in the parting of her hair.

Right then, everyone stood up and started cheering while tossing rice at the newly-married couple as they held hands. Aoba and Noiz also tossed rice at them, taking it from the small containers near their seats. Overall, while it was a little bit long, it went by fairly quickly, as it was now time to go line up in the receiving line.

 

* * *

 

“Well, what’d you think?” Koujaku asked.

The three of them stood in the receiving line to congratulate the happy couple and to give their presents. The line up was fairly long, as Priya’s family members were the first ones. Aoba could hear tearful voices congratulating her, and he couldn’t help but smile.

“You did a really good job with her hair,” Aoba praised Koujaku. “She looked amazing.”

“I agree,” Noiz said. “While it was a little long, it was interesting to observe.”

Koujaku grinned. “I’m glad to hear,” he said. “The reception will be next, and that’s going to be a lot of fun, actually.”

The line moved surprisingly fast and before they realised, it was already their turn. Koujaku went first, giving his gift to Daisuke and Priya. “Congratulations to the happy couple,” he said, smiling fondly.

“K-Koujaku-san!” Daisuke said in surprise. “You didn’t have to! Really, you’ve done so much!”

“Please, I insist,” Koujaku told them.

When Aoba and Noiz stepped up, Priya glanced at Noiz in surprise. “Oh! I don’t remember seeing you at the decorating before,” she said, sounding pleasantly surprised.

“Ah, this is my boyfriend, Noiz,” Aoba introduced, smiling. “We both came with Koujaku.”

Noiz nodded politely. “Congratulations on your wedding,” he said sincerely to the both of them.

“You look great, by the way!” Aoba complimented. “Koujaku really did a good job with your hair!”

Priya smiled sweetly. “Thank you so much,” she said. “I hope you enjoyed yourself!”

Once they were done, Aoba and Noiz joined Koujaku and they made their way to the dining hall for the reception. Already, the buffet table was up, but dinner was not yet being served, only the appetizers. “I’m a little hungry,” Aoba said. “How about you find a place to sit and I’ll just get something to eat?”

Noiz shrugged. “Sure.”

He and Koujaku found the table where Mizuki was sitting, and they sat down next to him. “So, you already give your gift to the couple?” Koujaku asked. “What’d you get them?”

“Ah, I got them a set of ceramic serving dishes,” Mizuki said. “You guys?”

“I got them a Japanese tea set,” Koujaku said.

“We got them a set of dinner plates,” Noiz said.

Right then, Aoba came back with a plate filled with appetizers. “I tried one of these samosas, and they are so good!” he said, sounding enthusiastic.

Noiz smiled. “That’s good,” he said.

Koujaku smiled teasingly at Aoba and Noiz. “Well? Does it beat the last wedding you went to?” he asked.

“Yeah, of course,” Aoba said, rolling his eyes playfully. “Daisuke-kun and Priya-san were clearly in love, it was so much more colourful, it wasn’t too long, and everyone looked like they were having a good time! And the food’s already more flavourful than what we had at the previous wedding!”

Noiz nodded. “Yeah, the food there was your typical rich food, but there was nothing interesting,” he agreed. “Also, everyone here is very pleasant and friendly, especially the bride.”

“Ah! Koujaku, you’re going to be giving a speech, right?” Mizuki remembered. “When are you giving it?”

“Once Priya-san’s father is done. Before him, the best man and the maid-of-honour are going to be giving speeches,” Koujaku said. “Speaking of which, I should stand in line right now.”

Koujaku got up from the table and went to stand in the short line on the stage behind Priya’s father. Once Daisuke and Priya entered the dining hall and sat down at a table with their family members, the maid-of-honour cleared her throat, making sure the hall had become quiet before starting her speech. It was fairly short, with a few words of congratulations to the couple, and so was the best man’s speech. The father’s was a bit more heartfelt and slightly emotional, but it was very sweet to listen to.

Finally, it was Koujaku’s turn. Taking the mic, he cleared his throat before starting. “For those of you who don’t know me, allow me to introduce myself,” he started. “My name is Koujaku, and I am the leader of the Rib team Benishigure. It’s tradition for Rib leaders to give speeches about the member who is getting married, which is why I’m up here. First of all, thank you for inviting me, Daisuke-kun, Priya-san. And congratulations to the both of you.”

He smiled as he continued. “I’ve known Daisuke-kun for quite some time right now,” Koujaku said. “He’s a loyal member of Benishigure, he’s good-hearted and kind to everyone, which may surprise some people especially because of his brooding appearance. Even though he can come across as aloof to others, you would not believe how he confessed his love for Priya-san.”

This seemed to elicit some smiles, including a somewhat embarrassed look from Daisuke. Aoba and Noiz listened closely as Koujaku continued to speak.

“Daisuke-kun and Priya-san have known each other since they were children, and he was her first friend when she moved to Midorijima,” Koujaku said. “Now, I don’t know about you, but it really seems like Priya-san has some healing powers in her. Daisuke-kun had been in a dark place before he and Priya-san had started dating. His life hasn’t been easy since he was a kid, but to him, Priya-san was his light of hope.”

Aoba and Noiz swore they heard Koujaku sound a little bit choked up as he continued.

Koujaku smiled. “Priya-san believed in Daisuke-kun and gave him the strength that he needed,” he said. “And Daisuke-kun has come a long way since then. It makes me proud as a Rib team leader to see my members finding hope and getting through tough times.” He then chuckled. “The day he figured out his love for Priya-san, he invited her to our headquarters and sang a love song to her entirely in Hindi. However, he completely butchered several words to the point that even Priya-san was confused.”

At this, everyone laughed, even Aoba and Noiz. Daisuke looked even more embarrassed, but he had a smile on his face. Priya was also laughing at that memory.

“Oh come on, even you thought it was cute!” Daisuke called back to him, laughing.

“I know, I know,” Koujaku admitted. “It was sweet. And it was clear that they were meant for each other in that moment. And to see them getting married to spend the rest of their lives together, continuing to believe in one another, it makes me proud. I wish the both of you all the best in your marriage.” With that, he finished his speech.

He was met with a round of applause from the guests as he stepped off the stage and went back to his seat. As Koujaku sat down, Aoba gave him a smile. “That was really sweet,” he told him.

“Thank you.”

Both Aoba and Noiz felt touched by Koujaku’s speech, which oddly seemed to mirror themselves. Just like Noiz, Daisuke had had a very difficult life, but thanks to his new wife, he was getting better. Likewise, thanks to Aoba, Noiz was able to improve his life. In fact, Koujaku’s speech was genuine and kind, and it really showed just how much he cared about his teammates.

Noiz had to admit, his opinion of Koujaku had changed completely for the better. Previously, he thought of Koujaku as nothing but a hot-headed womaniser. However, now that he had spent more time with him, he discovered that there was a lot more to Koujaku than what he initially thought. Koujaku was kind, thoughtful, sweet, and like a father to his men. He was also classy, courteous, and very passionate about whatever he liked. But why was he suddenly feeling like some teenage girl with a crush whenever he was near Koujaku? It confused him greatly, and hearing his speech really did not help. In fact, Noiz was almost relieved when the buffet table opened up and started serving food, because he really needed something to eat.

The food that was being served was extremely flavourful and delicious. There were a variety of Indian curries and other dishes, which tasted amazing.

“I never thought that Indian food could be so good!” Aoba said enthusiastically.

Koujaku nodded. “I know,” he agreed. “I really like the spices used in some of this.”

Noiz nodded as he took a bite of one of the milk sweets he had gotten for dessert. “This is pretty damn good,” he said. “Pretty sweet, but really good.”

At some point during dinner, a song had started playing and immediately, Priya and Daisuke were encouraging everyone to get up and dance along. The dance was full of energy and not many people could stay sitting any longer, so many of them got up, found a partner, and began dancing with them. Even Aoba and Noiz couldn’t resist.

Making their way to the dance floor, Aoba and Noiz mimicked the dance moves by holding hands and moving in time with the others. Everyone danced around Priya and Daisuke in a circle, clapping their hands and spinning occasionally. In the end, the entire dining hall was filled with dancing and music and sounds of infectious cheer.

Meanwhile, Koujaku had accepted a dance from a six-year-old cousin of Priya’s. Occasionally, he’d look up to see Aoba and Noiz dancing and enjoying the sight of it. He watched as Aoba laughed while Noiz spun him around. Even Noiz was smiling as they danced together. Koujaku had to admit, it was pretty sweet to watch.

Aoba glanced back only to see Koujaku dancing with a cute little six-year-old girl. He couldn’t help but smile as he saw Koujaku twirling the laughing girl while smiling at her. It was almost like watching a father dancing with his young daughter, as it was really cute.

When the song came to an end, everyone stopped dancing and started cheering. The energy in the room was very infectious, and no one could resist smiling and laughing. Noiz held Aoba close to him as he cheered along with the crowd. He never thought that he could have so much fun at a wedding before, and he was actually very grateful that Koujaku invited both him and Aoba along.

 

* * *

 

“Make sure you put those decorations away neatly, got it?” Koujaku told Hagima.

“Got it!”

The reception had finished a short while ago, and both Priya and Daisuke had gone to the airport to catch their flight to India for their honeymoon. All the other guests, except for Aoba and Noiz, had gone back to their hotel for the evening, or they had gone back home. Meanwhile, Koujaku and the rest of Benishigure were staying back to clean up the hall, and Aoba and Noiz had chosen to stay back to help them.

“That dance was so much fun!” Kou was saying as he took down some of the flowers. “Man, this was quite the wedding! The food was also amazing!”

“That’s true,” Aoba agreed as he helped put away some of the centerpiece decorations. “Sure beats the last wedding that Noiz and I went to.”

Koujaku and Mizuki were removing the swing carefully, making sure not to damage anything else. “Maybe we should have gotten some old clothes for the clean up,” Mizuki said.

“It’ll be fine,” Koujaku reassured him.

“By the way, that was a nice speech you gave,” Noiz told Koujaku. He smirked. “Didn’t think you had it in you, old man.”

Koujaku rolled his eyes. “Thanks, brat,” he said. “Now make yourself useful and help with putting away the centerpieces and the flowers, will ya?”

Noiz smirked. “Aye aye, captain.”

However, before he could do anything, a voice rang out in the half-empty dining hall. “Oh, it’s already over?”

Noiz froze. He recognised this voice! He turned to face the doorway, only to see the man with skulls standing there, the same sly smile on his face. Noiz raised an eyebrow.  _ What’s he doing here? _

An angry snarl caught Noiz’s attention, and he glanced over to see Koujaku glaring furiously at Ryuuhou.

  
And that was when everything went to hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ryuuhou returns now! Let me know what you think of this chapter :) Have a good one!
> 
> Disclaimer: DMMD belongs to Nitro+Chiral, not me.


	8. Inside Beast

Koujaku glared at Ryuuhou, baring his teeth menacingly. “Ryuuhou…” he snarled lowly. “You bastard… what the hell are you doing here?” he demanded.

By now, everyone had gone silent as they turned their attention to witness the scene before them. Aoba stared at Koujaku, surprised. He had never heard Koujaku sounding this angry before in his life. He had never even _seen_ Koujaku looking so furious before. Right now, Aoba could see nothing but pure, unadulterated rage in Koujaku’s eyes.

Even Noiz was stunned by Koujaku’s sudden anger. He had fought with him before, and Koujaku had never looked this angry in any of their fights. This rage was raw and absolute. No, it was purely murderous rage, and to be honest, it actually scared Noiz a little. He had assumed that Koujaku didn’t like Ryuuhou, but to feel murderous rage towards him? It confused him a little. What the hell did Ryuuhou do to Koujaku for him to get so enraged at him?

Ryuuhou looked at Koujaku curiously. “I’m sorry, but who are you?” he asked in a falsely innocent tone. “I don’t believe I know who you are.”

“Don’t fuck with me,” Koujaku growled, stepping down from the stage. “As if you could ever forget doing this!” Right then, he pushed away the bangs that hid his right eye, revealing something that shocked both Aoba and Noiz.

On the right side of Koujaku’s face under his eye was a black tattoo. It seemed to almost resemble claw marks as it glared eerily on his skin. Aoba was stunned. He never even knew about this. How long had that tattoo been on Koujaku’s face?

“Koujaku…” Aoba whispered, worried.

Ryuuhou’s smile widened. “Ah, Koujaku,” he said, speaking casually as if he were greeting a friend. “Of course I haven’t forgotten. I was just testing you a little bit.” His smile looked even more sinister now. “It’s so wonderful to see my greatest masterpiece again.”

“Shut up!” Koujaku’s voice had become nothing more than a growl. But it sounded strange. It sounded almost… beastly.

Right then, Koujaku lunged at Ryuuhou. “I’ll kill you with my bare hands, you son of a bitch!” he raged as he charged towards him.

Noiz had no clue when he started moving. He suddenly found himself holding tightly onto Koujaku’s arm, trying desperately to restrain him. _What the hell is wrong with him?!_ He wondered to himself as Mizuki helped him out by holding Koujaku’s other arm. Noiz had never seen Koujaku this angry before, and he actually found himself feeling worried for the Rib leader.

Koujaku then turned to glare at Noiz and Mizuki. “Let go of me!” His voice sounded even less human and more beastly. But that was not what caught Noiz’s attention.

It was his hair. Noiz thought he was seeing things, but the tips of Koujaku’s hair were turning red and slowly starting to spread upwards. It seemed to coincide with Koujaku’s beastly voice and his lack of control over himself. _What’s happening to him?!_ Noiz thought frantically.

“Have you already forgotten my warning?” Ryuuhou asked to the struggling Koujaku. “You won’t be able to come back if you let that tattoo grow. It was easier to switch back because you were young back then, but now that you’re an adult, the effects are more permanent.”

“Shut up!” Koujaku snarled. “Don’t you dare touch anyone in this room!”

Ryuuhou raised an eyebrow. “Oh? That’s rather rich, coming from you…” He then sneered sinisterly. “... you mother-killer.”

That was it. Right then, Noiz and Mizuki were suddenly thrown back as Koujaku broke free from their hold.

“Noiz! Mizuki!” Aoba cried out, running over to them. “Are you okay?”

Noiz nodded. “We’re fine,” he said. “But what about-”

A tearing sound interrupted his question, forcing Noiz to glance up. However, upon looking up, Noiz’s eyes widened in shock. Aoba also stared in horror, a hand going to his mouth. Likewise, Mizuki and the other Benishigure members could only watch the scene before them in stunned bewilderment.

Koujaku stood in a hostile defensive stance, his tuxedo torn and exposing parts of his back. But what caught Aoba and Noiz’s attention were the deep red marks and peonies that seemed to spread across his back. In addition, Koujaku was growling and snarling while baring his teeth menacingly at Ryuuhou.

Right then, Koujaku let out an animalistic roar before charging towards Ryuuhou. There was a clear aura of hostility and murderous intent around him, and he seemed to change. He became more beastly, more primal, and the red in his hair was already halfway up. But his eyes were blank with rage.

In that moment, Aoba was terrified for Koujaku. Whoever this was, it was not the Koujaku he knew and cared so deeply about. He had to do something to get Koujaku back. Right then, before he realised, he spoke.

 _“Koujaku! Stop this right now!”_ Aoba shouted, his eyes momentarily flashing gold.

It was as if a light switch went off. All of a sudden, Koujaku stopped mid-charge, breathing heavily. The red faded away from his hair, and his eyes seemed to clear up. He blinked once before looking around him. By then, Ryuuhou was gone.

Koujaku felt a sense of shame as he looked around him. Everyone, even Noiz, was looking at him with both fear and concern. He had almost lost control of himself in this hall, and if it weren’t for Aoba… no. Koujaku did not even want to think about what could have happened.

Right then, he felt a hand grabbing his wrist. Aoba was looking at him sternly, yet there was a hint of worry in his eyes. “We’re taking Koujaku home,” he said, his voice firm. “Come on, Noiz.”

Noiz nodded and made his way over to them, while Mizuki got up and started to clean up again. As Mizuki and the rest of Benishigure continued the clean up, Aoba and Noiz began walking out of the venue with Koujaku in tow.

The walk to Koujaku’s house was silent and a thick tension hung in the air around them. Koujaku kept his eyes on his feet as he walked home. He felt ashamed and disgusted with himself. He had ruined his tuxedo and almost lost his temper in front of his entire team, his close friend, and his childhood friend.

He couldn’t help it, however. When Ryuuhou had suddenly shown up, so many horrible memories had hit him. The feel of the needle all over his body and his face, the disgusting touches that were inflicted by that son of a bitch, that night when he snuck into his room… all of them resurfaced. And seeing Ryuuhou again brought up feelings of self-hatred, anger, and pain within Koujaku. What Ryuuhou had done to him twelve years ago had hurt so much. And all those pent up feelings had exploded upon seeing Ryuuhou.

When they were close to his apartment, Koujaku suddenly walked ahead of Aoba and Noiz, his pace increasing.

“What the- Koujaku!” Aoba called in surprise, trying to keep up.

Unfortunately, Koujaku’s pace was too fast, and he didn’t even respond to Aoba. “Koujaku! Don’t do this!”

Aoba and Noiz tried to keep up with Koujaku, but because he was taller than the both of them, they could not catch up to him. However, they managed to follow Koujaku into his apartment only to see him entering the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

“Koujaku!” Aoba demanded, sounding strict. He walked up to the door and tried to open it to no avail. It was locked. So Aoba knocked on the door. “Koujaku! What the hell are you doing in there?! You can’t just ignore whatever the hell that was back there!”

Koujaku didn’t answer, which only worried Aoba further. Aoba knocked even harder on the door. “Please, let me in!” he pleaded. “Don’t shut us out like this! What happened? Talk to us, please!”

Finally, Koujaku answered from behind the door. “Just go home…” He sounded tired, miserable, and defeated.

“Not after what just happened!” Aoba insisted. “We’re worried, Koujaku! Please, just talk to us! I-”

Noiz approached Aoba and touched his shoulder. “Let’s just give him some time,” he suggested, leading him away from the bathroom door.

“But I don’t want to just leave him alone!” Aoba insisted.

“We’re not going to,” Noiz glanced in the direction of Koujaku’s bedroom, then gave Aoba a sly smirk. “We’ll just spend the night here.”

They entered Koujaku’s bedroom and sat down on his bed. Aoba still looked very concerned for Koujaku, however. “You sure about this?” Aoba asked.

Noiz nodded. “We have to make sure he’s okay, right?” he reminded. “Besides, he clearly sounded upset, so we might as well give him some company.”

“Yeah…” Aoba gave him a small smile. “I guess you’re right.” He then released his hair from its ponytail. “Might as well make ourselves comfortable here.”

Noiz agreed as he loosened his tie and removed his suit jacket and vest, dropping them on the floor. He then unbuttoned his shirt and dropped that onto the floor as well before lying down on the bed. Much to his surprise, Koujaku’s bed felt warm. But it wasn’t an overbearing heat, it was a comforting and gentle warmth that really relaxed the both of them.

Now that he was actually in Koujaku’s apartment, Noiz had a chance to observe his surroundings. Koujaku really had an eye for aesthetics and design, as evidenced in the décor of his apartment. The red wasn’t so overwhelming to the senses, it was only used to bring a splash of colour. Not to mention, there were several traditional Japanese decorations, and the bedroom smelt really nice, like sandalwood.

But what caught Noiz’s attention was the bedside table when he had reached out to switch the lamp. Right near the lamp was a picture of a woman. The woman looked young and she had a kind smile on her face, her eyes shining brightly. She also had long black hair piled up in a traditional hairstyle, decorated with hair ornaments, and she wore a furisode kimono. In front of the picture were two incense sticks and some flowers.

Noiz stared at the picture for a moment. “Is that Koujaku’s mother?” he asked.

Aoba glanced to see what Noiz was talking about. Upon seeing the picture, he nodded. “Yeah,” he said.

“She looks lovely,” Noiz mused.

Aoba nodded. “Yeah, she is.” He then frowned. “I’m sorry, I’m just… very worried. I… I’ve never seen Koujaku in that state before. Like, I’ve seen him get angry, but never enraged.”

“There was something else to it,” Noiz said. “His hair, it looked like it was turning red. And when his tuxedo tore, I swore I saw something crawling along his back.”

“I saw that too,” Aoba recalled. He sighed. “I… I really thought I knew Koujaku so well, but I didn’t even know that he had a tattoo under his right eye! That was the first time I ever saw it!”

Noiz frowned. “He didn’t even look human for a moment,” he mused. “He looked really… beastly. If it weren’t for you using Scrap or whatever that was, I feel like it could’ve really gotten out of hand.”

“I had no choice,” Aoba said. “He looked like he was about to kill Ryuuhou with his bare hands. It… It was pretty scary. But what did Ryuuhou mean when he called Koujaku a mother-killer?”

They were both confused and concerned about Koujaku. Because in this moment, it was clear that there was a side to Koujaku that neither of them knew about. And the way Koujaku had sounded just now when Aoba had tried getting him out of the bathroom was fairly alarming as well. They had never heard him sound so broken and miserable before. But whatever it was that upset Koujaku, he clearly needed some help with getting through. Which was why they would spend the night at his place.

“Well, he’s not gonna talk right now,” Noiz said. “Let’s try tomorrow. But either way, we’re not leaving him.”

Aoba nodded in agreement. “Yeah.”

Noiz then turned the bedside light off before snuggling close to Aoba, pulling the sheets over them. The warmth of Koujaku’s bed, along with the feeling of Aoba’s body pressed close to him, was enough to calm Noiz down, and before he knew it, he was drifting off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

 Koujaku emerged from the bathroom a while later, wearing only a towel around his waist, having showered and brushed his teeth. He sighed, feeling guilty. In addition to scaring the hell out of his friends and teammates, he ruined his tuxedo pretty badly. And Noiz had paid quite a bit for the tux. Koujaku sighed. _And it was quite a nice tuxedo…_ he thought. Holding his ruined tux, he tossed it near his laundry bin, deciding to see if it could somehow be salvaged tomorrow.

He opened the door to his room, only to pause in the doorway. Both Aoba and Noiz were sleeping in his bed, much to his surprise. Koujaku thought that they had given up and gone home. Then again, he shouldn’t underestimate Aoba when it came to stubbornness. There really was no dancing around the issue with him. And Koujaku knew that Aoba would continue to ask him in the morning. So he may as well let them be guests for the night.

With this in mind, Koujaku entered his room silently, trying not to make too much noise as he grabbed his kimono and a pair of boxers. Once he put on the boxers, he took the kimono, jeans, and a spare blanket in his closet before going to the couch in the main room. Setting them down, he then managed to find two spare toothbrushes in the bathroom, keeping it for Aoba and Noiz to use tomorrow morning.

Once he was done, Koujaku laid down on the couch, pulling the blanket over his body. However, sleep avoided him for quite some time. How the hell was he going to break this to the both of them? They deserved to know, he supposed. But what should he tell them about? Just about the tattoos? About his family as well? Or about what Ryuuhou had done to him? The touches he inflicted? How Ryuuhou had taken whatever he wanted, despite Koujaku’s pleas for him to stop?

Koujaku closed his eyes, trying to suppress those horrific memories. However, he had made his decision. Tomorrow, he’d tell Aoba and Noiz everything. After all, they both deserved to know. With this in mind, he turned onto his side and closed his eyes, trying his best to get some sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title comes from the GazettE song "Inside Beast". I hope you enjoyed this chapter~ :) Let me know how I did. Have a good one!
> 
> Disclaimer: DMMD belongs to Nitro+Chiral, not me.


	9. Dripping Insanity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for mentions of rape/non-con

The chords of the koto playing a familiar song echoed through the apartment. Koujaku knelt before the instrument, plucking at the chords to create the sweet music. He had woken up early, which gave him enough time to freshen up and change clothes before Aoba and Noiz woke up. He wasn’t yet ready to show his tattoos to them. So, while he waited for them to wake up, Koujaku played the koto in the hopes of soothing his mind.

As Koujaku played the familiar chords of ‘Sakura Sakura’, he allowed himself to become lost in a memory. It was when he and his mother would spend time together under the sakura tree in their compound, one of the rare times of happiness that Koujaku would have back on the mainland. His mother would play this song for him, and they would both sing together. His mother had a voice like a nightingale’s call, and even now, Koujaku could almost hear his mother singing along with him, and almost smell the sweet fragrance of sakura blossoms around him.

_ “Sakura, sakura… yayoi no sora wa…” _

At some point, in the middle of the song, Koujaku heard the sound of two pairs of footsteps entering the main room. No doubt, it was Aoba and Noiz. However, he continued to act as if he hadn’t heard them, still singing the lyrics with his soothing, gentle voice.

_ “Mi-watasu kagiri… kasumi ka kumo ka… nioi zo izuru… izaya, izaya… mini yukan…”  _ he sang softly, playing the last chords as the song came to a close. He then sat upright, glancing at both Aoba and Noiz.

“Good morning, Aoba, Noiz,” he greeted calmly, getting up.

Aoba nodded. “Morning…” he greeted, sitting down at the table along with Noiz.

Koujaku also sat down. “I hope you two slept well,” he said.

The expression on Koujaku’s face was unreadable, and it bothered Aoba. He knew that Koujaku would definitely be a little bit on edge after yesterday, but right now, it was like Koujaku was trying to forget about it. Aoba needed to know what happened. With this in mind, he cleared his throat.

“Koujaku…” Aoba started. “We need to talk about what happened yesterday.” His eyes were filled with concern. “I’m really worried, Koujaku. I mean, you tried to kill that guy! That was terrifying to watch, especially the way you became so… beastly!”

Koujaku sighed as he pressed his thumb and index finger to the bridge of his nose. “What happened back there… it’s not easy for me to explain,” he told him. “Not only is it a long story, but it’s… it’s not a very pleasant thing to talk about.” He closed his eyes. “And I don’t know how to tell you without scaring you.” He shook his head. “No, I… I really don’t think I can tell either of you about this.”

Noiz frowned slightly. “Listen, old man,” he started. “I’ve fought with you in the past. And while you did get a little mad during those fights, I have never even seen you like that before. That anger… that was not normal. That was dangerous and pretty damn terrifying. So we can’t just forget about this.”

“Please, Koujaku,” Aoba pleaded. “You’re my childhood friend, and it hurts not knowing what had caused that anger! So please, talk to us. Don’t push us away.”

Koujaku opened his eyes, steeling his resolve. He had told himself last night that he would explain everything, and that was what he was going to do right now. “I’ll tell you,” he said. “I… I guess I should start from the beginning.”

He turned to face them. “My father… he was a yakuza boss,” he started, his voice soft. “I’m his illegitimate son, since my mother was his mistress. His wife hated her, however, so my father would often beat my mother because she allowed him. And my mother couldn’t fight back, so she’d always blame herself. And if I tried to defend her, I’d also get beaten.” He let out a shaky sigh. “You know why we came to Midorijima? It was because my father’s wife attacked my mother so horribly that she nearly died. We had to get out of that place.”

A small, bitter smile crossed Koujaku’s face. “For a few years, we lived in peace,” he continued. “We were never even bothered until shortly after I turned fifteen. Then, it was discovered that my father’s wife couldn’t have children, so I was made the heir. In the end, we had to move back to the mainland.” He looked down as his voice wavered slightly. “Our return there… it was hell on Earth.”

“That guy from yesterday, Ryuuhou,” Koujaku continued, clenching his fist, “he was hired by my father to tattoo me, since it was part of the training to become the heir.” His body trembled with anger. “I didn’t want these tattoos. I wanted nothing to do with my father or the yakuza. I told my father that I refused to get them, that I was not going to become the heir. Ultimately, I had to get these tattoos because if I didn’t go along with it, my father would beat my mother.”

At this point, Koujaku felt tears in his eyes. “It was a long process,” he said bitterly. “The tattoos took several months, almost a year, actually. Ryuuhou took great pleasure in tattooing me, in causing me so much pain. He’d hurt me so many times throughout each session.” He then felt a slight sensation of nausea as he recalled other things. “He started off with the looks that lingered a little too long, then he gradually progressed to- to touching me… he once drugged me after a session, to which I woke up to him molesting me, and it was only a matter of time before it became even worse.”

The tears began to fall down Koujaku’s face. “I thought I was free from him,” he whispered tearfully. “But after it was all over, he crept into my room and… and…” He closed his eyes. “I couldn’t even scream for help because he gagged me on his… he just kept on going, despite my pleas to stop. And when he was done… I snapped.” Koujaku didn’t think he could go on anymore. “These tattoos… they took over my mind and took advantage of my anger. All I remember doing was… was grabbing a sword off the wall and-” A sob spilled from his lips. “When I woke up, I was covered in blood. There was blood everywhere. At first, I was confused, but then it hit me. I… I slaughtered the entire compound. And my mother. I… I killed her… I wanted to protect her… but I killed her…”

Koujaku glanced up at Aoba and Noiz, not caring about the tears on his face. Aoba was looking at Koujaku with a shocked, yet pained and sad expression, his eyes also filled with tears. Noiz, meanwhile, looked both stunned and sad. Despite how much Koujaku wanted to just break down, he had to finish this.

“I wanted to die right then and there… and I almost did so,” Koujaku said quietly. He then looked at Aoba. “But before I could… I suddenly remembered you, Aoba. I remembered your smile and your laugh, and… and I couldn’t do it anymore. As much as I wanted to die, I just wanted to see you again. And… I never wanted you to see this… this side of me. I’ve tried to hide the blood on my hands but… I guess it was only a matter of time before it all came out.” More tears dripped down Koujaku’s cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I…”

He couldn’t take it anymore. Right then, Koujaku broke down, covering his mouth to try and muffle his sobbing. It hurt so much, just talking about it.

At that moment, Koujaku felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Aoba gently holding his shoulder, the tears threatening to fall from his own eyes.

“Why… Why didn’t you tell me?” Aoba asked, his voice shaking. “You hippo… you didn’t have to go through this all by yourself.” He then pulled Koujaku into a hug, holding him tightly and pressing his head to his own chest.

That was it. Koujaku wrapped his arms around Aoba’s body, holding him tightly as he cried into his chest. And Aoba just held him close, stroking his hair gently to console him.

When Koujaku had told him and Noiz about his past, Aoba had been shocked throughout. He had no idea that Koujaku was such a broken bird inside. Yet he always seemed so cheerful. But really, Koujaku had severe self-hatred, depression, and trauma. And to hear about what Ryuuhou had done to Koujaku in addition to tattooing him… Aoba had never felt so horrified. To think that Koujaku had gone through so much shit in the mainland, and had been suffering from the memories for twelve years. And he had suffered through this alone, without any help from anyone.

Without thinking, Aoba gently buried his nose in Koujaku’s hair. “You don’t have to go through this on your own anymore, Koujaku,” he whispered gently. “We’ll be here for you.”

Right then, Noiz slowly approached Koujaku before placing his hand on his shoulder, rubbing it soothingly. He had never seen Koujaku looking so fragile and vulnerable before. In fact, Noiz was reminded of himself before Platinum Jail. However, the only difference was that Noiz could barely feel anything, whereas Koujaku was feeling too much.

What really shocked him, however, was about what Ryuuhou had done to Koujaku along with tattooing him. It sickened Noiz, really, especially because he was reminded of what had happened to him before Platinum Jail. However, Koujaku had been haunted by this for twelve years, and had hidden it so well that no one would even think to ask him if something was wrong.

Yet, Koujaku was lucky, in a way. He at least had one parent who loved and cared about him. Noiz didn’t have that same sort of luck, unfortunately. But what amazed Noiz was how Koujaku said that Aoba was the reason why he didn’t end his own life on that compound. He didn’t know if Koujaku knew himself, but to him, it sounded like he had feelings for Aoba. And Aoba really seemed to be an enigma, to be able to motivate Koujaku to keep on living.

Without even noticing, Aoba closed his eyes and gently kissed Koujaku on his head. It wasn’t too long before Koujaku pulled away, his eyes red and his cheeks stained with tears. The dark circles on his eyes seemed a lot more prominent right now, and both Aoba and Noiz noticed this as Koujaku took a shaky breath. It was clear that he hadn’t slept much the previous night.

Noiz moved his hand towards Koujaku’s face, gently wiping the tears away from his eyes. “You need to get some sleep,” he told him. A small smile crossed his own face. “Being up all night isn’t good for your health… old man.”

At that, Koujaku let out a short, tearful laugh. “You two should go home as well,” he told them.

Aoba shook his head. “No, we’re staying right here,” he said firmly. There was no way that he wanted to leave Koujaku alone.

“Well, at least go and change your clothes,” Koujaku said, his voice tired. “You’ve been wearing those tuxes since last night.”

“He has a point,” Noiz told Aoba. “Let’s go home and freshen up, and then we’ll come back here.”

Aoba nodded. “Okay then,” he conceded.

 

* * *

 

Upon arriving home, Aoba and Noiz had received an earful from Tae-san, who scolded them for not coming home after the wedding. However, Aoba had explained what had happened, and Tae-san had become a lot more understanding, and even worried. Even then, she still chided Aoba for not letting her know about their plans of staying over at Koujaku’s place.

Shortly after Koujaku had gone to sleep, Noiz had left Usagimodoki to keep an eye on him as he slept, just so his health could be monitored. If something happened, there would be an alert triggered in one of Noiz’s other cubes.

Currently, Aoba sat down on his bed, having showered and changed into fresh clothes already. However, his mind was currently preoccupied with thoughts about how he could possibly help Koujaku get through those horrible memories and trauma. “Ren…” he started, turning towards his Allmate.

“What’s the matter, Aoba?” Ren asked.

“How… How do you help someone get through severe trauma and horrible memories?” Aoba asked.

“This is about Koujaku, right?”

Aoba nodded. “Yeah.” He sighed. “I really want to help him overcome the memories of what he went through on the mainland. Koujaku… he seems to be going through some severe trauma, because he’s become a lot more vigilant than normal. He’s also losing sleep, and is a lot more helpless than usual.”

“It seems that Koujaku has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,” Ren told him. “One thing you need to know is that helping him will take time and patience. It appears that Koujaku is also suffering from severe depression as well. In order to help Koujaku, you will need to make sure that he’s eating healthy, sleeping well, and staying fit. It’s also important to listen to him and provide comfort and reassurance.”

Aoba listened carefully as Ren continued giving advice. Koujaku would need all the help that he could get, and Aoba wanted to help him get through this. He didn’t want Koujaku to be alone anymore.

At that moment, Noiz emerged from the bathroom, dressed in fresh clothes. “So, what’s the plan?” Noiz asked.

“We’re going to spend time with Koujaku today,” Aoba told him. “Ren gave me some advice on helping him deal with his trauma and memories, and I don’t want Koujaku to be alone anymore. So, let’s go to his place.”

Noiz nodded, smiling lightly. “Sure.”

After they finished a short breakfast, Aoba and Noiz made their way back to Koujaku’s apartment. On the way there, the both of them were lost in their own thoughts.

Aoba was remembering many memories from his childhood with Koujaku. To him, Koujaku was his hero, someone who protected him from bullies that picked on him. Aoba had always admired Koujaku since they were children, and he may have liked him at some point. He had always thought that Koujaku was strong and brave. However, he now realised that even his hero had his own inner demons, that behind his sweet and charming smile was a broken man with severe self-hatred and depression. Now, Aoba had to be strong for Koujaku. And he would do so for however long it took.

Noiz, meanwhile, was thinking about Koujaku’s story. In a way, he and Koujaku had something in common. They both hated their fathers for what they inflicted upon them when they were children, but Noiz had managed to move forward. Koujaku, however, was still trapped. Noiz briefly wondered how Koujaku would react if he told him his own story, and how he had never felt anything before. He decided that for now, he would help Koujaku get through his trauma, and when the time was right, he would tell him more about himself.  

Aoba sighed. “I hope Koujaku hasn’t done anything to himself,” he murmured.

“If he had, I would have known from my Allmate,” Noiz reminded. He looked down. “You know, I never would have thought that Koujaku had gone through so much shit.”

“Me neither,” Aoba said sadly. “I… I just wish he could have told me, that idiot. I would’ve helped him, no matter what.”

“It must’ve taken a lot for him to finally share this, though,” Noiz mused. “After all, it’s not an easy thing to share.”

It wasn’t long before they arrived at Koujaku’s apartment. Since the door was unlocked, they both quietly opened it and entered, trying not to wake up Koujaku. After taking his shoes off, Noiz went to Koujaku’s room to retrieve Usagimodoki, silently opening the door. Upon seeing the sleeping Koujaku, however, Noiz couldn’t help but stare a little.

Koujaku’s face looked a lot more peaceful, and his breathing was steady. Occasionally, his eyelids would flutter and his breathing would become slightly more rapid. However, within a few seconds, Koujaku would relax, his lips twitching into a barely-there smile. In a way, Koujaku looked cute when asleep.

Noiz blinked as he realised what he was thinking, and he hastily picked Usagimodoki up from the bedside table before leaving the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

“What are Koujaku’s stats?” Noiz asked the cube.

“P! Physical health, positive! Mental health, negative!” Usagimodoki announced.

Noiz nodded and pocketed the cube before going to the main room, where Aoba was waiting for him. 

“How is he?” Aoba asked.

“He’s fine physically,” Noiz said. “Mentally, he’s not.”

Aoba nodded sadly. “I see.”

Noiz sat down on the couch next to Aoba, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry,” he reassured him. “We’ll help Koujaku.”

Aoba smiled slightly. “You’re right.”

It would probably take awhile to help Koujaku through his trauma. However, both Aoba and Noiz knew that so long as they were by his side, Koujaku would get better. Right now, what he wanted was comfort and reassurance, so once Koujaku woke up, Aoba and Noiz would give him the comfort that he so desperately needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter comes from the GazettE song "Dripping Insanity". Let me know how I did :) I hope you enjoyed! 
> 
> Disclaimer: DMMD belongs to Nitro+Chiral, not me.


	10. Coping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the late update! I was just so busy these past few weeks, as well as having a severe case of writer's block, so this chapter took some time. But now that it's here, I hope you enjoy!

Koujaku didn’t know how long he had been asleep for. However, when he woke up, he felt a lot more refreshed and less lethargic. Distantly, he heard the sound of conversation coming from the main room, and he remembered that Aoba and Noiz had gone back to change clothes and freshen up. Stretching slightly, Koujaku got out of bed, heading to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

When Koujaku finished, he headed to the kitchen, only to see Aoba bringing some food out to the table. Upon seeing him, Aoba gave him a small smile. “I thought I’d make breakfast for you,” he said.

At this, Koujaku couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks,” he said softly.

“Did you sleep well?” Aoba asked.

“Yeah, I guess,” Koujaku said as they both headed to the table for breakfast.

Noiz was already seated at the table, drinking some tea. Upon seeing Aoba and Koujaku sit down, he nodded in greeting. “Slept well?” he asked.

Koujaku nodded. He was still fairly subdued, Noiz noticed. But it was understandable, considering that he had just spilled out his entire past to them, a very horrific past to boot. He really needed all the help that he could get, so it was important to take baby steps.

Breakfast was silent between the three of them. It didn’t take too long before Koujaku spoke.

“You know…” he started, getting their attention. “Shortly after my mother and I had returned to the mainland, I started writing letters to you, Aoba.” His lips twitched into a brief smile. “I never sent them because I did not want to risk any of the servants intercepting them. But I kept them hidden away so my father would never find them. And… I still have them.” He glanced at Aoba almost shyly. “Would… Would you like to read them?”

Aoba was stunned. But at the same time, he felt his heart beating faster and his face growing warmer. So Koujaku had been writing letters to him for so long. Aoba couldn’t help but feel happy about it, because Koujaku truly cared about him. He nodded to Koujaku.

“Sure,” he mumbled.

Koujaku got up and went into the main room, heading towards a small cabinet. Opening up the drawer, it took a little bit of searching before he found it: a wooden box that was filled with letters he had written. Holding it, he went back to the table.

“Here they are,” he said, opening the box and taking out an envelope from the front. “This is the first one.”

Aoba took the envelope and looked at it in a hushed amazement. He was so curious to see what Koujaku had written to him while on the mainland. But before he could open it, Koujaku headed back to his own room.

“W-Wait… where are you going?” Aoba asked.

“To make a few calls to Mizuki and Benishigure,” Koujaku said. “I need to apologise to them, after all.”

Once Koujaku had retreated into his room, Aoba started to open up the envelope. Meanwhile, Noiz looked through the box, reading the dates that were written on the bottom. “Jeez, there’s so many in here…” Noiz mumbled. Yet he felt his face growing slightly warm. “He really cares about you, Aoba.”

Meanwhile, Aoba opened up the envelope and unfolded the letter before starting to read it.

_ Dear Aoba, _

_ How are you? I hope you and Tae-san are doing well. I miss you already. It’s barely been a day and I already miss Midorijima. You don’t know this, but my dad’s a yakuza boss, and I’ve become his heir since his real wife can’t have kids. The training for this is so strict, it’s unbelievable. _

_ It’s funny, you know? Before all this, my dad just wanted me to shut up and stay out of his way. Now? He wants me to become exactly like him. He wants me to be cruel, cold-hearted, and merciless, just like how he is towards everyone and my mother. You might wonder why I’m still doing this training, then. I’m only doing this to keep my mother safe. Speaking of her, she misses you too. We always think of you whenever we play the koto together. You loved to hear us sing, remember? I wish I was back on Midorijima right now, away from this place. _

_ One day, I want to come back to Midorijima. And then, I’ll never leave ever again. I don’t care about the stupid yakuza anymore. I just want to be happy with you again. _

_ Well, it’s getting late, so this is as much as I can write. Take care. And remember: don’t give in, Aoba. _

_ From, _

_ Koujaku _

Attached at the bottom of the letter was a photo of both Aoba and Koujaku playing together on the swings. They both were smiling so joyfully and looking at it brought back many fond memories. Aoba smiled as he gently touched the photo.

“This hippo…” he murmured as his face grew warm.

Noiz glanced over and saw the photo. “You were pretty cute, Aoba,” he said, smiling slightly. “So was Koujaku.”

Aoba blushed even more. “I can’t believe it…” he said softly. “It’s almost like he’s writing a diary, and he even wrote ‘don’t give in’ in his letter. I…” He felt tears in his eyes. “Shit… I wish I could’ve been there for him. He didn’t deserve to go through all this.”

Noiz pulled Aoba close and rubbed his shoulder. “That’s why we’re going to help him out now,” he said. He then got up. “I… I’m going to go talk to him right now.”

“Go ahead,” Aoba said. “I think he might be still calling Benishigure and explaining to them about what happened.”

Not really caring, Noiz went over to Koujaku’s bedroom. He had thought about it long and hard, but he decided that he wanted to open up to Koujaku as well and tell him about his own childhood. After all, Noiz had found that he was able to relate somewhat to Koujaku’s story, and because Koujaku had finally opened up, Noiz decided that he wanted to do the same with him. Besides, maybe if he told Koujaku about his own shitty childhood, then he wouldn’t feel so isolated. That was an important part of trauma recovery, after all.

Noiz gently opened the door and found Koujaku sitting in the middle of his bed, staring at his mother’s hairpin. “Koujaku?”

Koujaku glanced up as Noiz entered, sitting down next to him. “What do you want?” he asked quietly.

“Just wanted to talk,” Noiz told him. “I was thinking about your story a short while back. It… It made me realise something…” He glanced over at Koujaku. “Your old man, and my old man… I think they would have gotten along quite well if they ever met.”

At this, Koujaku turned to look at Noiz, somewhat confused. “What do you mean?”

Noiz sighed. “I also had a shitty childhood like you,” he said. “My parents locked me up in a room when I was a kid and kept me there for majority of my life.”

Koujaku looked at Noiz in shock.  _ “They what?!”  _ His voice was an angry whisper. “Why?!”

“Because I couldn’t feel a thing,” Noiz told him. “I had zero sensations in my body.”

Koujaku looked thoughtful. “So…” he started. “If I did this before Platinum Jail,” he reached out and grabbed Noiz’s nose, ignoring the cry of protest that he let out, “you wouldn’t have felt it?”

Noiz nodded, rubbing his nose.

“No wonder…” Koujaku mumbled. “You never reacted whenever you got even a severe injury. I simply thought that you were trying to be tough.” He shook his head sadly. “And yet your parents locked you away instead of trying to help?”

“They didn’t understand,” Noiz said. “But yeah, they pretty much did that.”

“And… you’re working for them now?” Koujaku was stunned. He had no idea how Noiz was able to work for the same people who isolated him from the rest of the world.

“We’ve made amends with each other,” Noiz explained. “Besides, it’s important for me to have a better relationship with them if I’m going to work for them.”

Koujaku was silent for a moment. He had no idea that Noiz had gone through so much shit as a child as well. And it seemed that a part of his theory was right. Noiz hadn’t just been unable to feel pain, he had been unable to feel anything. The image of a young Noiz screaming and crying as he banged away on a locked door, begging to be let out before breaking down in tears flashed through Koujaku’s mind, and he felt his own heart hurting. For so long, Noiz had been deprived of the love that he needed and grew up so painfully lonely. No one deserved that. And before Koujaku realised what he was doing, he reached out, wrapped an arm around Noiz’s shoulder and pulled him close to his chest.

Noiz’s eyes widened in surprise when he felt his face being buried into Koujaku’s chest. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“Giving you a hug,” Koujaku told him, placing his other hand in Noiz’s hair. “So shut up and let me hug you.” His voice was gentle, with no bite to his words.

Noiz slowly relaxed before returning the hug. Koujaku felt so warm and it was really nice. Not to mention, his strong arms around his body were so gentle and pleasant that Noiz just couldn’t remain tense any longer. It was rather strange to receive a hug from someone who used to be his rival, but right now, it felt sweet.

“You know…” Koujaku started. “I envy you, Noiz.”

Upon hearing that, Noiz was yet again surprised. “Why?” he asked.

“Because you’ve managed to move forward from your childhood,” Koujaku told him. “You’ve matured, gotten yourself a job, and you’re able to make Aoba happy.” He pulled away from the hug. “Me? I’m still haunted by my own past. I’ve been living while wanting to die at the same time for almost twelve years. And I can never be able to live in peace.” He shook his head. “There’s no other way to put it, I’m… I’m just so fucked up.”

Noiz frowned slightly. “We all are,” he said. “We’re all fucked up in our own ways, but that doesn’t mean you have to be alone. Aoba and I… we’re here for you.” He averted his eyes as he blushed. “We want to help you.”

At this, Koujaku couldn’t help but smile softly. He reached out and ruffled Noiz’s surprisingly-soft hair. “Aoba must have really rubbed off on you,” he mused. Right then, he remembered something.

“Before I forget… I’m really sorry about the tuxedo,” Koujaku apologised. “You spent a lot of money on that and I just ruined it after wearing it once.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Noiz reassured him, smiling slightly. “We’ll find a way to fix it.”

This was it. Noiz had never thought that he could have a positive interaction with Koujaku in his entire life, but right now, this was a genuine conversation that he had. He had gone in, expecting to just share his story with Koujaku. But he really did not expect to be receiving a hug from Koujaku. Yet what surprised him was that he wanted to hug him again. No… he wanted to help Koujaku, he wanted to be there for him, he wanted Koujaku to be with both him and Aoba.

There really was no denying it anymore. In spite of the blood that stained Koujaku’s hands, Noiz had fallen in love with Koujaku.

 

* * *

 

Aoba had been reading through Koujaku’s letters for a while now. The more he read through them, the more he had felt his face grow warmer and his heart beating faster. He found out so many things in these letters, and almost all of them ended with ‘don’t give in’ as well as a photo from their childhood. It made Aoba feel happy that he was what kept Koujaku going on the mainland. Despite all the horrible things that Koujaku had written about, Aoba could almost sense a hopeful tone in each letter.

Aoba wasn’t going to lie. He always sort of had a crush on Koujaku right from when they were children. Koujaku had been his hero, after all. But now, Aoba felt like his crush was coming back to life as he read through these letters.

He opened up another letter, unfolding it before starting to read it. But this letter was the one that stunned him the most.

_ Dear Aoba, _

_ I’m so sorry that this is so late. My body hurts so much. My father hired a tattoo artist named Ryuuhou to tattoo me as part of tradition, so he started tattooing my back a few days ago and I had to sleep on my stomach for several nights. If I rolled onto my back, it hurt like hell. I thought I was going to die during the session. But this is only the beginning. _

_ He’s using the tebori method to tattoo me, and it’s extremely painful. There’s a whole ton of processes involved and each day, I feel like I’m going to pass out from the pain. But I have no choice. I’m doing this for my mother’s safety. _

_ You know, Aoba? Everytime I feel lonely or sad, I always think about you. And it makes me feel a little bit better about myself. I remember the both of us playing together and your smile when we pretended to get married in the park. Remember that time? You looked so cute when you smiled, and that makes me so happy. _

_ I really like you, Aoba. I don’t know if you’ll ever see this, but I really, really like you. I want to be there for you forever. I miss you so much, and I really wish that I was back on Midorijima. I hope that I’ll be able to see you soon one day. _

_ Take care, and remember: don’t give in, Aoba. _

_ From, _

_ Koujaku _

Aoba’s heart was pounding against his chest as he folded up the letter. Koujaku had been in love with Aoba, right from childhood. But that wasn’t it. Aoba wanted to reciprocate those feelings so badly, as evidenced by the happiness that he felt. He wanted to help Koujaku, he wanted to be by his side forever, and he wanted Koujaku to live with both him and Noiz.

  
Aoba was in love with Koujaku, and no amount of denying would ever help him get rid of those feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, they have both realised their feelings~ Let me know how I did :) Have a good one!


	11. Beautiful

Koujaku reached out and picked up Beni from the bedside table. Noiz had gone back to the living room shortly after their conversation, leaving Koujaku with several confused thoughts and feelings. He didn’t know if this was for real, but he found that he had developed a real soft spot for Noiz.

Ever since Aoba and Noiz came back to Midorijima, so many feelings were reawakening within Koujaku. Some of them were his own feelings for Aoba, which he had worked so hard to suppress after the latter had left for Germany. However, new feelings were starting to bloom within him as well, feelings towards Aoba’s boyfriend. And it was so strange. If someone had told him that he would start to become soft towards Noiz several months ago, Koujaku would have laughed.

Yet there were a lot of things about Noiz that Koujaku found himself liking. One of them was how mature he had become and how they were able to interact rather civilly instead of picking a fight with one another. Not to mention, Noiz had become more considerate of Koujaku, seeing how he willingly helped Koujaku with finding a tuxedo without mocking him, and showing concern when Koujaku had almost snapped upon seeing Ryuuhou. But perhaps what truly stood out was the conversation that he just had with him.

However, Koujaku was confused. How could he be having feelings for both Aoba and Noiz? In fact, why was he harbouring these feelings? The last thing he wanted was to ruin their relationship, especially because they seemed so happy together. But no matter how much he wanted to suppress these feelings, he couldn’t. Koujaku seemed to like the idea of being in a relationship with the both of them. The three of them living together, Koujaku spoiling the both of them and then… the three of them in the bedroom, both him and Noiz taking turns to pleasure Aoba… Koujaku shook his head. Why was he thinking about this right now?

Sighing, Koujaku ran his thumb over Beni’s head, powering him up. “Yo, Koujaku,” Beni greeted upon opening his eyes. “What happened?”

“A lot,” Koujaku said before explaining just what happened.

He told Beni about the wedding, Ryuuhou appearing, and then about him telling Aoba and Noiz about his past. When Koujaku finished speaking, Beni looked at him in surprise.

“I didn’t know you told them all that, boss,” he said. “Are they still here?”

“Yeah.” Koujaku then paused. “I… I need to ask you something, Beni. Do you…” He sighed. “Is it possible for someone to love two people at once?”

Beni looked at Koujaku incredulously. “This is about Aoba and Noiz, isn’t it?” he asked.

Koujaku nodded. “I… Ever since they came to Midorijima, I’ve been having old feelings coming back, but new feelings within me,” he explained. “There’s Aoba, who I’ve always been in love with. But then… there’s Noiz. These past few days, I’ve been growing fond of him, and I think that… that I might also be falling in love with him.”

Beni looked thoughtful for a moment. “Well, I guess it is possible to be in love with two people,” he said. “What exactly do you feel?”

Koujaku smiled slightly. “I feel happy whenever I think about the three of us together,” he said. “They’re both willing to help me get through my issues, which makes me so grateful, because I’ve been alone for too long. And I… I want to be there for the both of them, I want to protect them but… I don’t want to ruin things between us if they’re not interested in me.”

“Well, I think they might be feeling the same way as well,” Beni reassured him. “Ever noticed how they’ve both been around you? Aoba gets all flustered, and so does Noiz.”

At that, Koujaku recalled the past few days when he had spent time with the both of them. They both seemed to enjoy his company, and he remembered how they looked fairly amazed when he had dressed up in the tuxedo yesterday. These feelings were hard to ignore, but how was Koujaku going to tell them? It was almost impossible to think of a way to confess to them.

Little did he know, both Aoba and Noiz were facing the same dilemma as him.

 

* * *

 

“Aoba…” Noiz started, getting his attention from the letter.

Aoba glanced up. “What is it?”

Noiz gave a brief glance towards Koujaku’s bedroom door. There was a chance that Koujaku could hear them talking, so he decided to switch languages. “I’d like to ask you something,” he said, speaking in German.

Aoba looked surprised, but he knew what this meant. He nodded. “Go ahead,” he responded in German.

“Do… Do you think it’s possible for someone to be in love with two people and have a relationship with them at the same time?” Noiz asked.

Again, Aoba looked at Noiz in surprise. However, a small smile crossed his face. “To be honest, I wanted to talk about that as well,” he admitted. “But you can talk first.”

Noiz sighed. “It’s about Koujaku,” he started. “I hope you don’t get upset, but… I think I might be in love with him.” He paused slightly, but kept on talking. “I know, it’s kind of unbelievable, but now that I’ve gotten to spend some time with him, I’ve realised that there’s a lot more to him.”

“When did you start feeling this?” Aoba asked gently.

“I think it was when he took me to the pet shop,” Noiz admitted. “He’s been so nice to me, and it’s not even malicious, it’s genuine. Not to mention…” He blushed lightly. “Now that I think about it, he’s very… beautiful.”

It was true. Noiz had never thought that he could find Koujaku to be beautiful. To him, Aoba was beautiful, and would always be beautiful. But Koujaku had a different kind of allure. He was rugged and rough, yet very elegant and gentle. The kimono he always wore also gave him a refined, traditional kind of grace and elegance, one that women were attracted to.

“You remember when I went into Koujaku’s room a short while back?” Noiz asked. “I… I actually shared my own past, and how I couldn’t feel anything.”

Aoba looked at Noiz in surprise. “And what happened?”

“He was shocked,” Noiz said, his face heating up. “But he hugged me and… that was when I realised that… I’m in love with him. I want him to be with us and to help him get through his trauma.”

Noiz felt like a blushing schoolboy who was trying to work up the nerve to confess to his crush. He never would have thought that Koujaku would be making him feel this way.

Aoba couldn’t help but smile. “I’ve been feeling the same way,” he said. “To be honest, I think these are feelings that are reawakening, however. When I was a kid, I had a crush on Koujaku and looked up to him a lot. He was my hero.” He blushed. “But when I was reading through his letters, I realised that these feelings were coming back.”

He sighed. “I want him as well,” he admitted. “I’ve fallen in love with Koujaku, and I’d give anything to have him be with the both of us… if that’s fine with you, that is.”

Noiz paused. “But how does Koujaku feel about us? So far, I’ve only seen proof of him loving you in his letters,” he said. “I don’t know what he feels about me, though. What if he doesn’t love me?”

“I think he might be in love with you as well,” Aoba suggested. “But maybe it’s best that we talk to him. In fact, we might have to give him some time. He’s gone through a lot, so he’ll need time to sort out his thoughts and feelings.”

As soon as Aoba finished speaking, the bedroom door opened up and Koujaku emerged from his room. He went towards the main room, where Aoba and Noiz were seated on the couch.

Koujaku had been hearing their conversation from his room, though he did not understand a word of what they were saying. However, hearing them speaking in German sounded oddly attractive and it sent a thrill down his spine, especially hearing Noiz. Koujaku had to admit, Noiz speaking German sounded quite hot.

While they had been having their conversation, Koujaku had made a decision. He trusted both Aoba and Noiz, so he decided that he wanted to show them his tattoos. It would be hard, though. Koujaku had always been nervous about exposing his back and chest to others, and he even got occasional panic attacks whenever he removed his kimono for a shower. But to him, this was his way of showing both Aoba and Noiz that he trusted them, so he was going to go through with it.

“Aoba, Noiz,” he said, getting their attention. “I… I want to show you something.”

Aoba looked at Koujaku curiously. “What?” he asked, switching back to Japanese.

Koujaku lowered his eyes. “I’m going to show you my tattoos,” he said. “I’m doing this because… because I trust the both of you, and because I’ve always been nervous about exposing them. But because I trust you… I’m going through with it.”

“Oi, oi,” Noiz started, looking slightly surprised. “You don’t have to force yourself if it makes you nervous.”

Koujaku gave him a brief smile. “I want to do this,” he said as he started to untie the obi.

After untying the obi, he folded it and set it aside. Koujaku paused as he held onto the folds of his kimono, hesitating. _You can do this… it’s okay… you can trust them._ He kept on thinking to himself.

However, as he slowly started to remove his kimono, Koujaku felt his heart pounding rapidly against his chest. His hands shook slightly and he felt his throat closing up as if he was choking. He quickly removed his hands from the kimono, turning away from Aoba and Noiz, who were watching him in concern. Koujaku closed his eyes and took deep breaths, trying to steady his heartbeat.

“It’s all in your head…” he murmured to himself. “You can do this, it’s just them.”

Feeling calmer, Koujaku slowly removed the kimono, letting it slide from his shoulders before folding it up. He then turned to face Aoba and Noiz while moving his bangs away from his face, showing his tattoos to them.

Aoba couldn’t help but be stunned by the extensive tattoos that decorated Koujaku’s chest and back. Thick black lines swirled up his arms and across the right side of his chest, and on his back, pink peonies bloomed across his skin. His skin was also decorated with several scars, and the tattoos seemed to be mocking him as they glared harshly from his body and his face. Had he not known the story behind the tattoos, Aoba would have thought they were absolutely beautiful.

Noiz also couldn’t help but look. The tattoos were very intricate and detailed, and even exquisite. Yet they had a very cruel beauty to them, considering how they were essentially forced onto Koujaku. Noiz also noticed that Koujaku had more scars than he appeared. Koujaku must have received them when he went on his rampage, when people had tried to fight back before being killed. To Koujaku, the tattoos branded him as a monster. But in spite of that, Koujaku was still…

“Beautiful,” Noiz whispered gently, earning a surprised look from Koujaku.

“Beautiful?” Koujaku repeated, disbelieving. “These are shameful, Noiz. I’m reminded of how I killed my mother everyday because of these tattoos.”

Aoba shook his head as he approached Koujaku. “That’s not what he meant,” he said, leading him to the couch and sitting down with him. “You’re beautiful, Koujaku.” His voice was a whisper as he gingerly traced the harsh black lines on Koujaku’s face.

Koujaku flinched slightly, but he didn’t move. What he didn’t expect, however, was for Aoba to suddenly plant a kiss on the tattoo. “A-Aoba…?” he asked, glancing at Noiz. To his surprise, Noiz didn’t look angry.

Aoba gently turned Koujaku back to look at him. He glanced back at Noiz, who nodded in encouragement, before turning back to look at Koujaku.

“Koujaku… I love you,” Aoba whispered, pressing his forehead against Koujaku’s. “You mean so much to me, as much as Noiz does. So please, don’t shut us out anymore.”

And then, Aoba leaned forward and kissed Koujaku, his hands cupping his face. Koujaku’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden action and he froze momentarily. However, he slowly closed his eyes and wrapped one arm around Aoba’s shoulders, pulling him close as he kissed him back while placing his free hand in Aoba’s hair. Koujaku kissed him passionately and tenderly, as if Aoba would disappear from his sight if he didn’t return the kiss.

Noiz watched as Aoba and Koujaku kissed, feeling his face growing warm. Watching them kiss was actually pretty hot, and Noiz was surprised that he didn’t feel jealous. But really, he didn’t mind. After all, if Koujaku’s love for Aoba was what kept him alive, then why would he get mad at this? But still, Noiz couldn’t help but wonder how his lips would feel against his own, and what it felt like to kiss Koujaku.

It wasn’t long before Koujaku pulled away from the kiss. He then turned to look at Noiz, guilt in his eyes. “I’m- I’m sorry-” He was cut off when Aoba moved to let Noiz approach Koujaku.

Noiz gently caressed Koujaku’s face, looking into his eyes. “I love Aoba, there’s no doubt,” he started. “But… I think I love you too. You’ve been so kind to me, and I feel happy when you smile at me or when you are nice to me. And… when you told us everything about your past and cried… I wanted to help you get through it. I don’t want you to go through so much pain again.”

Koujaku stared at Noiz in stunned surprise. “You…” he whispered.

Noiz blushed lightly. “I’m so happy that you trust me as well,” he said. “Thank you.”

Right then, he leaned forward and captured Koujaku’s lips with his own in a kiss. It didn’t take too long for Koujaku to respond, just like with Aoba, and he wrapped his arms around Noiz’s body as he pulled him close, quickly taking control of the kiss. Kissing Koujaku was different from kissing Aoba, Noiz observed.

Koujaku kissed him with a sweet tenderness, making him feel cherished and valued. His lips were gentle against Noiz’s, moving with a certain experience. Noiz liked how Koujaku kissed him, his gentleness contrasting Noiz’s slight aggression in kissing. He didn’t want this to end, but it was unrealistic to think like that.

Koujaku pulled away, his face flushed slightly. His heart was racing, but for a different reason. This time, it was pure joy. He couldn’t believe it. As it turned out, both Aoba and Noiz loved him and wanted him. But at the same time, Koujaku was nervous. He still had his own issues to sort out. However, he loved this warm feeling within him. Before he realised, tears fell from his eyes.

“Koujaku… what’s wrong?” Aoba asked, worried.

Koujaku shook his head. “I… I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you two,” he laughed tearfully. “You two are willing to love someone like me, even though I have blood stained on my hands.”

“And that’s not going to stop us,” Aoba reassured him.

“But I still need closure,” Koujaku said, wiping away his tears. “I want to make sure Ryuuhou never comes near me or anyone I know ever again.”

“So we’ll help you find him,” Noiz said.

At that, Koujaku couldn’t help but get worried. “If he finds out about either of you, I hate to think of what he might do,” he told them. “He’s dangerous.”

“But if we let you go alone, you might actually end up killing him,” Aoba pointed out. “We’re coming with you, Koujaku.”

Koujaku couldn’t help but chuckle wryly. They were both stubborn, but he honestly wouldn’t want it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They have finally discovered their feelings~ Let me know how I did :) Have a good one!
> 
> Disclaimer: DMMD belongs to Nitro+Chiral, not me.


	12. Invisible Wall

Noiz was typing away on the keyboard hologram, trying to locate where Ryuuhou was. Fortunately, it didn’t take too long for a location to pop up. As it turned out, Ryuuhou lived in the Flame Willow district of Platinum Jail, running a tattoo parlour in the upper storey of a club.

After letting Koujaku know about his location, Koujaku decided that he wanted to pay the tattoo artist a visit, just so he could get some closure. Both Aoba and Noiz decided that they were going to come along with him to make sure his anger was kept under control. Currently, the three of them were walking down the streets, heading towards Platinum Jail.

“Koujaku…” Aoba started. “What… What are you planning to do when you see him?”

Koujaku laughed sardonically. “I don’t even know,” he said. “I want to make sure he never comes near me, anyone I know, or any other innocent people ever again. But… But if I kill him… I’d be giving him what he wants: to die at the hands of his ‘greatest masterpiece’.” He sighed. “Are you two sure about coming with me?”

Noiz gave Koujaku a slightly incredulous look. “And are you sure about going without us?” he countered. “You tried to kill him last time.”

“It’s just…” Koujaku paused. “I’m worried about what may happen if he finds out about the both of you. Like, if he learns about your powers, Aoba. Or that you couldn’t feel a thing, Noiz. I hate to think about what he could do to the both of you.”

“We’ll be fine,” Aoba reassured him, giving him a smile.

Right then, Aoba suddenly felt a sharpness in his neck, followed by an overwhelming drowsiness. His legs began to feel weak and give away, his eyelids growing heavy as he stumbled into Noiz’s arms.

“Aoba!” Noiz exclaimed in shock. That was when he saw the tranquiliser dart in Aoba’s neck.

Koujaku looked around the empty streets, his hand going to his sword. “Stay on your guard!” he said to Noiz, who was also looking around in worry.

However, Noiz suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck, and he immediately knew that he had been struck by a tranquiliser dart as well. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before his legs gave out and he collapsed on top of Aoba, losing consciousness.

_ What the hell is going on?!  _ Koujaku wondered frantically to himself. Right then, he also felt himself getting struck with a tranquiliser dart. Alarmed, Koujaku tried to fight the intense drowsiness that was overcoming him, but it was no use. He also collapsed to the ground as his eyelids slowly started to close. The last thing he saw was the bottom of a blue kimono approaching the three of them. That was when everything went black.

 

* * *

 

Aoba slowly opened his eyes, groaning in pain. Looking down, he noticed that he was lying face down on a tatami mat. He tried to get up, but his body felt too heavy, and the room began to spin around him. Immediately, he knew that he had been drugged. At this, Aoba’s eyes widened in shock.  _ Where’s Koujaku? And Noiz? _

He looked around, and he noticed that his surroundings looked very different. There were tattoo designs pinned up against a wall, and the only source of light was a flickering lantern next to where he was lying down. Other than that, the rest of the room was fairly dark.

“Aoba!” He heard Noiz’s voice from his right.

Aoba could only glance at him, but he was relieved to see that he was there. However, Noiz’s hands were bound behind his back, and he was lying on his side on the ground.

“Noiz! What happened?” Aoba asked. “Are you okay? Where’s Koujaku?”

“I’m fine,” Noiz reassured him. “Koujaku, though… he’s over there. But he’s unconscious.” Noiz gestured to a dark corner with his head.

Aoba could only see a faint outline of Koujaku’s body. However, it seemed like he really was unconscious. Fear welled up in Aoba. What happened? Where the hell were they? And what the hell was going on?!

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door sliding open. “Oh, you’re both awake already?”

Both Aoba and Noiz froze. It was Ryuuhou.

“You…” Aoba growled as Ryuuhou approached him. He shivered when he felt his shirt being rolled up and a gloved hand gently caressing his back. “You did this to us!”

Ryuuhou simply looked amused. “I just couldn’t help myself,” he said casually.

“Keep your hands off Aoba, you bastard!” Noiz snarled.

“Where’s Ren?!” Aoba demanded. “What did you do to our Allmates?!”

“Nothing,” Ryuuhou said. “They’re in sleep mode, but I put them away. We can’t have any interruptions when I’m busy with the both of you.”

Despite the cheery tone in Ryuuhou’s voice, both Aoba and Noiz felt a sinking feeling in their guts. They instinctively knew that Ryuuhou had much more sinister intentions with the both of them.

However, Aoba felt furious. This was the same guy who hurt his childhood friend beyond belief, who made him suffer for twelve years. “Aren’t you ashamed?” he asked, trying to sound angry. “You’re awful. No wonder Koujaku tried to kill you back there. You should be ashamed of yourself! Taking advantage of a fifteen-year-old and put him through endless misery, pain, and suffering for twelve years… you’re disgusting!”

“Call me whatever you want,” Ryuuhou responded. “It doesn’t change the fact that I have two new canvasses.” He smirked down at Aoba. “I think I’ll get started on you. I still remember how you used your voice to stop Koujaku from going on a rampage. Just imagine what the results will be once I carve my designs into your skin.”

Aoba tensed up, fear filling his very being. He was right. Ryuuhou was going to tattoo him. And upon hearing the sound of the needle, he felt even more terrified.

Noiz was furious. “How dare you…” he snarled. “Don’t you dare touch him, you son of a bitch!”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Ryuuhou said, giving Noiz a sly smile. “Once I’m finished with Aoba, you’ll be next. After all, I’ve always been curious about tattooing the most well-known Rhyme player in Midorijima.”

At that, Noiz felt almost sick to his stomach. After hearing about what this bastard had done to Koujaku, he wanted absolutely nothing to do with him.

However, unknown to either of them, Koujaku had regained consciousness a short while ago, and had just been pretending to be unconscious. It had taken all of his self-control not to lash out upon hearing what Ryuuhou planned to do with Aoba and Noiz. His sword had been removed and was currently leaning against the wall, but it wasn’t like he could even free himself with it when both his hands were bound behind his back.

Yet much to his relief, Ryuuhou hadn’t touched his hair supplies pack that he always carried around his waist. Koujaku struggled with the rope as he slowly pulled out a pair of scissors from the pack, arranging them so that his fingers slid into the handles. He then carefully maneuvered them so that they were lined with the rope, and slowly began to snip away at the ropes, trying to avoid his wrists and making sure to be as quiet as possible.

Finally, Koujaku felt the ropes loosen before falling down, and he smirked. He managed to free himself without being noticed. But that was when he saw Ryuuhou preparing his needle to tattoo Aoba. Almost immediately, rage filled his being, and before he knew it, he strode towards Ryuuhou, scissors raised above his back.

“My ink is no ordinary ink,” Ryuuhou was saying. “It has the power to amplify your emotions and exploit your thoughts so that you will-” He was cut off as Koujaku plunged the scissors into his left shoulder blade, and he let out a cry of pain.

Aoba and Noiz stared in shock as Ryuuhou turned around to face Koujaku, who had a look of anger and determination on his face. He held the now-bloody scissors the way one would hold a knife, a dangerous look in his eyes. Neither of them could believe that Koujaku had just stabbed Ryuuhou with his scissors.

Ryuuhou turned around and glared at Koujaku. “Oh, so that’s how it’s going to-” Koujaku cut him off when he quickly plunged the scissors into Ryuuhou’s upper left arm, earning a shout of both anger and pain from him.

He collapsed onto his knees and almost keeled over when Koujaku yanked him back up by the front of his kimono, the scissors now positioned in the corner of Ryuuhou’s mouth. Koujaku just glared at him with fury and rage, and Aoba and Noiz just watched on in stunned surprise. There was something more dangerous to him right now, even more than when he almost lost it back at the wedding venue.

“The power to amplify your emotions… I’m not some old man! And I’m not an injured prisoner, you son of a bitch!” Koujaku was seething with rage, the scissors threatening to slice Ryuuhou’s mouth. “Motherfucker… don’t you dare touch Aoba and Noiz… just try it and I’ll gut you like the pig that you are!” As he shouted the last part, he slashed the corner of Ryuuhou’s mouth with the scissors, slicing half his cheek open from the inside. Blood sprayed out as Ryuuhou collapsed to the ground, howling in both anger and pain.

Aoba was at a loss for words upon seeing this, and he couldn’t help but cringe internally. Getting slashed across the cheek looked really painful, especially from inside the mouth. However, a part of him actually couldn’t help but find it to be absolutely badass. He also couldn’t help but blush slightly. Koujaku was, once again, his hero who saved him from monsters and cruel people.

Noiz was also dumbfounded at this action. While he did wince slightly when Koujaku fishhooked Ryuuhou across his cheek, it wasn’t as if Ryuuhou didn’t deserve it. After all, he hurt Koujaku quite a bit, so it was pretty fair that Koujaku attack him the way he did just now. Not to mention, seeing him standing before the tattoo artist, holding the blood-stained scissors along with having a small splatter of blood on his cheek, was pretty hot.

Koujaku continued to glare down at Ryuuhou. “Be grateful I didn’t kill you, you bastard,” he snarled. “You deserve it more than anything, but I would just be giving you what you wanted. To die at the hands of your masterpiece… and I refuse to do that.” He lowered the scissors. “I’m not going to give you that satisfaction.”

He proceeded to walk over to Noiz, cutting the ropes around his wrists to free him. Once Noiz was free, Koujaku picked up Beni and passed Ren to Noiz before strapping his sword to his back. Meanwhile, Noiz helped Aoba up onto his back, prepared to carry him, since he was too drugged to walk. Before stepping out of the studio, Koujaku turned back to glare at the now-bloody Ryuuhou.

“Let that be a reminder for you the next time you decide to try and hurt either Aoba, or Noiz, or anyone I know,” he said coldly. “I barely even had a grasp on my anger just now. But you come after the ones I care about… I will end you.”

The seething rage in Koujaku’s voice left Ryuuhou stunned speechless. All he could do was hold onto his slashed cheek as he watched Koujaku, Noiz, and Aoba leave his studio without looking back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for how late this is. Again, schoolwork and writer's block prevented me from being able to write this. But I hope you enjoyed! Let me know how I did~ PS: I was inspired by Guillermo del Toro's film "Pan's Labyrinth" while writing this chapter. The chapter title comes from the GazettE song "Invisible Wall". 
> 
> Disclaimer: DMMD belongs to Nitro+Chiral, not me.


	13. Intimacy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness, I am so, so sorry about this. So much has happened these past months, along with a huge amount of writer's block. However, I'm now back, and here is the final chapter. I had a hard time writing the smut, since it's my first time actually writing a threesome and I haven't written smut in a long time. I hope it's good and enjoyable, however.
> 
> Edit: I made a few minor changes to the story. Noiz and Aoba now live in Frankfurt instead of Munich, and Aoba is Noiz's secretary at work.

In the days that followed the attack on Ryuuhou, Koujaku was doing a lot better. He was taking care of himself, smiling a lot more, and his depression was slowly getting better. Of course, it hadn’t fully gone away, but that was expected. One couldn’t just get rid of his depression with the blink of an eye. If anything, however, Aoba was happy to see Koujaku getting better, even if it was slow. 

Currently, Aoba and Noiz were on their way to Koujaku’s house for Noiz’s hair appointment. Noiz had decided that he wanted to get a trim from Koujaku, just to see whether he was as amazing a hairdresser as everyone said he was. At least, that was Noiz’s reasoning. However, Koujaku did not miss the blush that stained Noiz’s face when he had said that.

Aoba knocked on Koujaku’s door. As it opened, Koujaku greeted them with a smile. “Come on in,” he invited. “I just finished setting things up.”

The two of them entered, removing their shoes. “You actually have a salon in your house?” Noiz asked, raising an eyebrow. “So you can sleep with the girl after her appointment?”

Koujaku snorted. “Sometimes, a client wants a more complicated hairstyle, and I have everything needed for it here,” he said. “So I let her come over to get it done.”

He led Noiz to the chair, adjusting it so that he could be comfortable. As Noiz sat down, Koujaku tied a sheet over his neck. “So, you just wanted a trim?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Noiz said. 

“Okay then.” Koujaku reached over and turned on a music player, which started playing some traditional Japanese music. He then picked up a comb before starting to run his fingers through Noiz’s hair. But the sensation was something he did not expect.

To Koujaku’s surprise, Noiz’s hair was so soft to the touch. “Noiz… your hair’s so soft…” he said, sounding awed. “How the hell do you keep it so soft? It’s like petting a kitten!”

Noiz shrugged. “Dunno, I just use whatever shampoo,” he brushed off. He tried to ignore the way his face warmed. 

As Koujaku ran his hands through his hair, Noiz closed his eyes, sighing. His hands really felt nice: they weren’t too rough or too soft, they were just right. No wonder ladies claimed that his touch was like Heaven. Noiz then felt the comb running through his hair a few times, parting it. It wasn’t long before he heard the sounds of scissors snipping, trimming away at the ends of his hair. To be honest, it was fairly relaxing. The sounds of the koto music in the air calmed him down while Koujaku trimmed his hair with his utmost focus. 

Eventually, Koujaku finished, and he ran the comb through Noiz’s hair. “All done,” he said.

Noiz opened his eyes and looked at himself in the mirror. His hair now appeared quite neatly trimmed and well-done. “How do I look, Aoba?” he asked.

“Pretty good!” Aoba praised. “Told you that he’d do a good job.”

Koujaku cleared his throat, getting their attention. “I… I’d like to talk to the both of you,” he started. “I’ve been thinking through a lot of things.”

Aoba and Noiz listened as he continued.

“I’ve decided that… that I want to try this out with the both of you,” Koujaku told them. “I’ve been lonely and depressed for too long. But now, I want to be happy with the both of you.”

Upon hearing those words, Noiz’s eyes brightened. However, Aoba got up from the bed and hugged Koujaku tightly, smiling into his shoulder. “I’m so glad…” Aoba whispered.

Koujaku smiled as he hugged him back. “Me too,” he said, kissing the top of his head.

Noiz also joined in on the hug, enjoying the warmth from Koujaku’s body. Finally, finally, Koujaku was theirs. 

Koujaku pulled away from the hug, gently caressing Aoba’s face before leaning in and capturing his lips with his own. Aoba kissed him back, his lips moving gently against Koujaku’s. He felt Koujaku’s tongue gently running over his lower lip. Getting the hint, Aoba deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around Koujaku’s neck.

Meanwhile, Noiz moved behind Aoba, wrapping his arms around his waist before burying his face in the crook of his neck, alternating between kissing and biting it gently. At the feeling of Noiz’s teeth lightly grazing his neck, Aoba whimpered against Koujaku’s lips.

“Mm- Noiz…” He pulled away, his face flushed red.

Koujaku smiled at the sight. “How cute, Aoba…” he said.

Noiz also smiled. “He is pretty cute,” he agreed. “Right, Aoba?” 

Right then, Noiz used the opportunity to capture Aoba’s lips with his own, kissing him deeply. Aoba closed his eyes, moaning into Noiz’s mouth as he deepened the kiss. As the both of them kissed, Koujaku started kissing down Aoba’s neck while sliding his hands under his shirt and roaming all over his sensitive skin.

Sure enough, Aoba felt his body heating up at the feeling of Koujaku’s hands. Even when they weren’t in his hair, they felt like heaven. However, Aoba certainly didn’t expect the jolt of pleasure he got when Koujaku slid his hand into his pants and began rubbing his erection.

“Koujaku!” Aoba gasped, breaking away from Noiz’s lips. By now, he knew that he was blushing profusely.

At that, Koujaku raised an eyebrow, looking amused. “Oh? You like that?” he asked. “You want more?” His voice lowered into a sensual whisper.

“Please…” Aoba begged, raising his arms over his head.

Getting the hint, Koujaku removed Aoba’s shirt, tossing it to the ground. Aoba’s pants and underwear were next, leaving him in the nude while Koujaku and Noiz were still clothed. Right then, Noiz pulled Aoba with him onto Koujaku’s bed, still holding his waist while Koujaku climbed on top of him, kissing Aoba again. 

Aoba kissed him back, his lips moving eagerly against Koujaku’s. He could get used to the way Koujaku kissed. His lips weren’t too rough, but they weren’t too gentle either. Aoba loved the way he’d kiss him passionately before kissing sweetly, his tongue running over his bottom lip in a persuading manner. 

The feeling of lips kissing the crook of his neck made him cry out in pleasure, and he pulled away from Koujaku. He knew that Noiz was kissing his neck again.

“You’re sensitive there, aren’t you?” Koujaku asked, his voice teasing.

Aoba blushed at the playfulness in Koujaku’s voice. However, Noiz seemed to love it as he pulled away and smiled, his eyes glinting mischievously.

“He is,” Noiz agreed. “But he’s especially sensitive in his fingers.”

Aoba then felt Koujaku taking his right hand ever-so-gently and kissing his fingertips. At this, Aoba couldn’t stop the moan that escaped his lips.

Koujaku grinned against his fingers. “You’re so cute, Aoba,” he chuckled.

Aoba was blushing furiously. “H-Hippo…!” He then glanced at both Koujaku and Noiz. “Oi, why am I the only one naked?” he demanded.

“So demanding,” Noiz teased. Nevertheless, he moved away to remove his own clothes, also stripping down to the nude. 

Koujaku, on the other hand, was more hesitant to do so. His fingers paused at his obi, and he wondered if he should really take off his kimono and expose his tattoos again. Sure, he’d exposed them to the both of them already, but it still made him nervous. However, he decided to go through with it, and slowly removed his kimono, folding it and putting it away before removing his pants.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt himself being pushed against the bedframe by Aoba, who crawled over to him. “Aoba…?” he asked. He felt his own face heating up at the way Aoba crawled over so seductively. Yet he could see a seriousness in Aoba’s eyes.

“Don’t think that way,” Aoba told him, his voice firm. He moved his lips to Koujaku’s ear. “You’re beautiful, Koujaku.”

“Aoba…” Koujaku leaned in close, kissing Aoba passionately.

As Aoba kissed him back, Koujaku suddenly felt Noiz’s lips kissing down the tattoos on his torso, his lips moving slowly and sensually. He couldn’t resist the sensation and moaned against Aoba’s lips. He never knew that Noiz could be so gentle and tender in an intimate setting. He moved his hand down to Noiz’s head, gently caressing his hair as a way of encouraging him.

“You like it?” Noiz asked, his voice low and seductive. He smiled as he continued kissing down Koujaku’s torso. 

Noiz loved the sensation of Koujaku’s hands in his hair. Just like how he was when trimming it, his hands felt gentle and tender, as if he were petting a bunny rabbit. Not to mention, Koujaku smelled amazing. He smelled clean, with a hint of woodsy myrrh and lavender, the same scent he had when they had gone out to buy his tux. It very much suited him. 

Having enough of just kissing his body, Noiz moved up and gently brushed Koujaku’s bangs out of his face, exposing his tattoo. Noiz then planted several kisses on the tattoo, hinting at Koujaku for a kiss.

Koujaku couldn’t help but smile against Aoba’s lips, breaking away and turning to Noiz. “Aren’t you needy?” he teased.

“Shut up, old man…” Noiz mumbled without any bite. 

Koujaku leaned in and captured Noiz’s lips in a passionate kiss. As Noiz kissed him back, Aoba leaned back, watching the sight before him with a smirk as he began to stroke himself. Watching the two of them making out was pretty hot, to be honest.

Right then, Noiz began to repeatedly grind his hips against Koujaku’s, eliciting more moans from the latter. At this, Noiz smiled against Koujaku’s lips. “Fuck, you sound so hot…”

Aoba leaned back, continuing to stroke himself to the sight of Noiz grinding against Koujaku. It was seriously hot to watch. However, it was interrupted when Koujaku pulled away and glanced down at Noiz’s dick, his eyebrows raising in surprise.

“You’re pierced down there?” Koujaku asked, bewildered.

Noiz smirked. “Aoba loves it,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone. 

He was taken aback when Koujaku just laughed. 

“What’s so funny?” Noiz asked.

“No, it’s…” Koujaku smiled fondly at him. “That’s so like you.” 

At that, Noiz felt himself blushing. Goddammit, how the hell was Koujaku able to get him all flustered with just a few words? “You…” He climbed off Koujaku’s lap, hiding his face.

Koujaku smiled at him. “You’re too cute, Noiz,” he said.

Aoba then crawled over to Koujaku, moving his head towards his erection. “You’re so hard, Koujaku,” he said, wrapping his hand around the base, gently stroking his dick. At this, Koujaku groaned in pleasure.

“Aoba…” he groaned.

Smiling coyly, Aoba looked up at Koujaku, keeping his eyes on him as he slowly took the head into his mouth and began to suck lightly. Koujaku groaned in pleasure at the sight, his face growing red as Aoba took more of his erection into his mouth. There was something about watching his cock disappear in Aoba’s mouth that was quite erotic, and Aoba’s sultry eyes made it all the better.

As Aoba continued sucking, he moved his hand down to his own erection and began stroking simultaneously. He felt so good right now, and he truly enjoyed making Koujaku feel good.

“How hot, Aoba,” Noiz said heatedly, stroking himself. “Keep going like that. Suck him off real good…”

At Noiz’s words, Aoba moaned, his body growing warm as he began sucking harder and faster. Koujaku’s groans of pleasure only served to encourage him even more. At this point, Aoba knew that Koujaku was close after precum leaked from the tip into his mouth.

“Aoba…” Koujaku whispered hoarsely. “I’m gonna-!”

Aoba’s mouth was flooded with cum, which he quickly swallowed. However, a few drops leaked from his mouth, spilling down his chin as he pulled away. Noiz quickly used this opportunity to kiss Aoba, his arms wrapping around his body. Aoba kissed him back just as passionately, making sure to put on a good show for Koujaku. But when Aoba opened his eyes to look at Koujaku, he stopped and pulled away in surprise.

Blood was dripping from Koujaku’s nose.

Aoba couldn’t help but giggle. “Koujaku… you’re bleeding,” he said.

“What?” Koujaku moved his hand to his nose, checking to see if Aoba was right. “Shit!” he cursed upon seeing the blood on his hand.

Neither Noiz nor Aoba could believe this. Koujaku, the smoothest playboy of Midorijima, was actually having a nosebleed during sex. Aoba began giggling but Noiz was just smirking at him.

“Oi, don’t laugh!” Koujaku grumbled, reaching out and getting a tissue to wipe his nose. “This hasn’t happened before!”

While it was indeed funny, Aoba smiled softly at Koujaku. This was the real Koujaku, right behind his womanising persona. 

Noiz also found it somewhat cute. It reminded him that even Koujaku screwed up every now and then, that he wasn’t the smooth person he liked to make himself out to be. Honestly, Noiz felt himself falling in love with Koujaku even more.

_ “Scheiße,  _ I love you so much…” Noiz said breathlessly.

Koujaku smiled at Noiz before pulling him into a kiss. Noiz took advantage of the kiss to push Koujaku down onto his back. He quickly reached down for his pants, pulling out a container of lube from the pockets before straddling Koujaku’s hips. At this, Koujaku raised an eyebrow.

“You brought lube?” he asked.

“Just in case,” Noiz answered, squeezing a generous amount onto his hand. 

As he began applying the lube onto Koujaku’s cock, Aoba also squeezed some lube onto his fingers before crawling behind Noiz, preparing him.

At the sensation of Aoba’s finger entering him, Noiz gasped in pleasure. “Aoba…!”

“Does it feel good?” Aoba asked, smirking as he slid another finger into him. “Probably not as good as how Koujaku will feel.”

Noiz couldn’t help but smirk. “You’re starting to sound like me,” he said.

“Make sure you put on a good show for me, okay?” Aoba told him.

Once Noiz was prepared, Aoba removed his fingers from him and leaned back, lazily stroking himself. Still straddling Koujaku’s hips, Noiz lined the tip of his dick at his entrance before slowly lowering himself onto Koujaku.

Koujaku closed his eyes, gritting his teeth at the tight sensation. “Noiz…” he hissed. “Feels… good!”

“Koujaku…” Noiz murmured as he lowered himself fully onto Koujaku. Fuck, he was pretty big.

Koujaku opened his eyes and he couldn’t help but admire the way Noiz looked. His hair was messy, his face flushed red, and sweat dripped from his forehead already. He looked both cute and erotic like this.

When Noiz started moving, Koujaku began to thrust upwards, earning a strangled gasp of pleasure from him. As he continued thrusting upwards, Koujaku lifted himself off the bed, his lips moving to Noiz’s ears.

“You look so good like this,” he whispered, his voice low as he chuckled. “You’re quite shameless aren’t you? Riding me right in front of Aoba.”

“Koujaku!” Noiz gasped, wrapping his arms around Koujaku’s neck.

Aoba was stroking himself faster at the scene before him. “Don’t even bother slowing down,” he said. “Keep going.”

Koujaku turned his focus onto Aoba. “So you’re a voyeur, huh?” he asked. “You get off on watching us fuck?” He turned back to Noiz. “Let’s give him a good show, why don’t we?”

With that, Koujaku began thrusting harder into Noiz, earning louder cries of pleasure from Noiz. The latter was gripping his back hard, his nails digging into Koujaku’s skin as he bit down on Koujaku’s shoulder. At this, Koujaku growled in pleasure as he pulled Noiz closer.

“Noiz… you feel so good…” Koujaku grunted.

“Fuck… I’m so close…” Aoba moaned.

“I’m gonna-” Noiz gasped.

Koujaku took Noiz’s hand into his own, kissing him deeply. He was also close.

“Come for me, Noiz,” Koujaku whispered.

And with those words, Noiz came, moaning loudly. Koujaku followed shortly after, grunting as he spilled into Noiz. Aoba was quick to come as well, having been so turned on by their orgasm. 

Coming down from his high, Noiz lifted himself off Koujaku’s cock, breathing heavily as he buried his face into the crook of Koujaku’s neck. The gesture warmed Koujaku’s heart as he pulled Noiz closer to him, kissing his forehead repeatedly.

“I… I love you… Noiz…” Koujaku murmured.

Noiz smiled. “Love you too…”

 

* * *

Shortly after cleaning themselves up, the three of them lay in Koujaku’s bed. Koujaku was in the center, with Aoba on his left and Noiz on his right. As they lay in bed, Koujaku couldn’t help but think to himself.

Where would they go from here now? He’d managed to get closure regarding Ryuuhou, he’d reached closure regarding his feelings for both Aoba and Noiz. Did that mean that the three of them were a thing now? Would they want him to live in Germany with him now?

“Koujaku…” Aoba said, interrupting his thoughts. “What do you say about living in Germany with us?” 

Koujaku looked at him in surprise. “You want me to live with you?” he asked.

Noiz shrugged. “Why not?” he asked. 

At this, Koujaku smiled. So they were thinking about it. To be honest, it sounded like a great idea.

“Sure,” he said. “I’ll come to Germany.”

Aoba seemed to brighten up after hearing his answer. “Really?” he asked. “So you’ll come with us when we leave?”

Koujaku laughed. “Are you kidding? I might take at least a few months!” he told them. “I’ll have to sell my apartment, appoint a new leader of Benishigure…”

“Aoba was kidding, old man,” Noiz said, rolling his eyes. He regarded Koujaku warmly. “You can take all the time you need. But we’ll be waiting for you.”

“Then it’s settled,” Koujaku said, giving them a smile. “I’ll be moving in a few months.”

Aoba gave Koujaku a smile of pure joy before kissing him. Koujaku kissed him back before pulling away, returning the smile.

“I can’t wait,” he told him. “You’ll love it.”

As he cuddled the both of them, Koujaku smiled at the ceiling. Yes, this was where he truly belonged. He could not wait to have both Aoba and Noiz become a part of his new life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, this is the end! Thank you to all those who liked, commented, and bookmarked this story! Your support really means a lot to me! 
> 
> Also, I'm going to be working on a one-shot compilation set after this story, about Koujaku, Aoba, and Noiz living together in Frankfurt. Majority of them will be Koujaku-centric. With that, I'll see you all soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I really grew attached to KouNoiAo, and Koujaku is one of my favourite characters in DMMD. I really wanted to write something where Koujaku's finally able to come to terms with his own inner demons with the help of Aoba and Noiz, so I hope you enjoy the first chapter of this story!


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